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Rookie Blake Martinez entrusted to run the defense
Green Bay — Dom Capers studies his play sheets from the press box several stories above the field. Green Bay’s defensive coordinator makes his selection, then relays the call.
On the opposite end of the headset is a 22-year-old linebacker who carefully consumes every word the 66-year-old Capers utters. He then has the immense order of calling that defensive play and getting 10 of his teammates properly aligned.
The job would be formidable for a 10-year veteran. The fact the Green Bay Packers are asking a rookie to do it makes it even more daunting.
“It’s a big job,” Packers linebacker Nick Perry said. “Especially for a rookie.”
But Blake Martinez isn’t like most rookies. Truthfully, he’s not like most people.
And it’s why Martinez was entrusted with the tall task of wearing the defense’s communication headset to start the season.
You see, not only is Martinez a gifted player on the field and Green Bay’s first rookie starter at inside linebacker since Nick Barnett in 2003, the former Stanford standout also scored more than 1,700 on his SAT test, then double majored in engineering and management science.
During Martinez’s final year at Stanford, he took an electrical engineering lab that ran from 8 p.m. until midnight five days a week. While college students everywhere were living it up, Martinez was creating his own 4x4x4 LED Cube.
So really, who better to run the defense than Martinez?
“It’s pretty exciting to get that chance,” Martinez said. “I mean at the beginning, my ulti- mate goal was to start on defense. But obviously whatever role they ended up putting me in, I’m going to make sure I’m the best possible player at it I can be.
“Throughout the whole time, though, they kept slowly adding little things to my plate and every time I just took that challenge and wanted to run with it and make sure I showed them that I could keep taking these challenges and excelling at them. I think once they kind of saw that and saw what I could do, they gave me that opportunity to have the headset.”
One of the lasting images of Green Bay’s training camp was Martinez lying on the floor inside the Packers’ locker room. Once practice ended, Martinez would grab his iPad, find a comfortable spot, and begin breaking down film.
Those study habits were nothing new. Back at Stanford, Martinez would take roughly 12 pages of notes each week on the Cardinals’ opponent.
Studious. Meticulous. Detailed. Martinez is all of the above.
And it quickly became apparent to Green Bay’s coaches that not only was Martinez one of their best linebackers, he was bright enough to run the defense.
“He’s done a very good job right from the very beginning with the IPWs, the OTAs, the minicamps, the training camp,” said Capers. “It carried over into the preseason. I think he’ll handle if fine. You just look at his body of work … and he’s very conscientious, very attentive to detail, good communicator.”
Packers coach Mike McCarthy agreed.
“I think you have to give him a lot of credit for his ability to communicate and understand because that’s a heck of an adjustment,” McCarthy said. “You could see it in the OTAs. He picked it up quickly.”
From the moment Martinez was selected in the fourth round of April’s draft, his goal was to become a starter. Martinez sat and waited for two years at Stanford, before recording 243 tackles over his final two seasons.
“That was my plan, to try and become a starter here,” Martinez said. “I did not want to wait again. That’s what I was going for.”
Players chosen on the third day of the draft rarely crack the starting lineup their rookie seasons. Many never reach that goal. But Martinez was a hit from the first time he walked into the building.
Martinez seemed to learn at a quicker pace than most rookies. He showed an ability to cover running backs and tight ends. And his play in the run game was sublime, much as it was at Stanford.
“This whole entire camp was awesome,” Martinez said. “I think I became a way better football player than I was my senior year in college, and it’s just been awesome to see and learn from the guys here and the coaches here. To understand and get those concepts down fundamentally to get where I am now has been great.
“Every day when I come in here, I’m surrounded with Pro Bowlers and Hall of Famers. And you have to come in every single day and adapt your level of play to that level. And if you don’t, you’re going to be the guy that’s not here. And I think that was the main role for me is that I saw and learned from other guys and got into that mind-set because I wanted to be one of those guys.”
In a very short amount of time, Martinez has become exactly that. Now, many expect the rookie with first-rate communication abilities, smarts and football skills to blossom into a standout.
“Really, no one cares that he’s a rookie,” Perry said of Martinez. “He’s doing a great job right now, and we’re all comfortable with that. He’s like a veteran in there. He’s coming in and played great from the start and that’s all you can ask.
“He came in here and learned and proved it time and time again this whole camp. He’s been consistent and he’s played really fast.”
And earned himself the headset.