Martin enjoying collegiate success

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On Saturday morning, thousands of fans lined up before sunrise for a party, as ESPN’s College Gameday set up shop on the campus of Washington State University.

The show began in darkness — one of the only times the ESPN cast has been on the West Coast for the famous Saturday tradition.


And once the big game between Washington State and Oregon finally took place late that afternoon, a Houma man was a huge part of it — front and center — a prominent figure on one of the most explosive offenses in the country.

Ellender graduate Tay Martin is enjoying a breakout season for Washington State University — a season which has many expecting Martin to receive All-Pac 12 acclaim when the year ends.

Martin is the Cougars’ leading receiver through 7 games.


On Saturday, he caught 6 passes for 25 yards in a big win.

For the season, he has 46 receptions and 465 yards with 6 scores — all either on top the team lead for Washington State or trailing close behind.

Martin said this past offseason that he’d prepared his whole life for this and now was his time to shine.


So far, so good.

“I’ve put in the hard work and the dedication and the time, so I just want to stay focused and go out there and do the things I can do to help my team win,” Martin said. “I like our system. I like our team and the things we do. They put me in a position to play to the best of my ability. Now, I just have to take advantage of it.”

No one locally is shocked that Martin is a big-time college athlete.


But the sport that he’s playing at this level may be a little bit of a surprise to some.

Believe it or not, but Martin made his first recruiting waves as a basketball prospect at Ellender — so much so that he was considered a three-star commitment by recruiting services during his junior year with the Patriots.

Early in his recruitment, Martin was focused only on basketball and he was even a commitment to the University of New Orleans for a lot of his junior year.


Patriots coach Cornell Scott called Martin a rare talent. During his senior season, the Patriots went to the Class 4A State Championship Game.

“He’s just a special player,” Scott said during Martin’s senior season. “What he sets his mind on, that’s what he’s going to do.”

In the offseason between his junior and senior seasons, Martin got noticeably bigger, faster and stronger. And while basketball was the sport that he’s called his “first love,” football was becoming king.


As a senior, Martin made the sport look easy, using his 6-foot, 4-inch frame to overpower smaller defenders and his speed and leaping ability to out-maneuver bigger defenders.

With his dominant play on the field and strong showing at elite camps, Martin started to catch the eye of colleges around the country, which forced him to make the decision that basketball was not the sport he should play at the next level.

Martin de-committed from UNO, then surveyed his options, collecting scholarship offers from schools all across the country — including several major-conference offers.


But Martin chose Washington State at the end of his recruitment, mostly because of their pass-happy offense, operated by coach Mike Leach.

As a freshman, Martin struggled to find consistent playing time early in the season, but broke out late, catching 31 passes for 366 yards and six scores.

This season, he dedicated himself to getting stronger and has blazed the competition. In Week 2, Martin caught 6 passes for 68 yards and two scores. A week later, he had his best collegiate game, snagging 13 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. Against Oregon State, Martin proved he can shine in a conference game, making eight grabs for 119 yards and two scores.


Leach said Martin is a weapon — especially in the red zone.

And more important than it all, the coach said the Ellender graduate is a quality person off the field.

“He’s a good kid,” Leach said. “He’s been through a lot and he knows how to handle and deal with adversity. He’s been a great fit for us.”


Going forward, Martin said his goal is to make it to the NFL so he can provide for his family and especially his siblings.

But he also said he’s not looking too far ahead, opting instead to focus on the present and trying to do the best he can for a Cougars team that still has Rose Bowl aspirations.

Tay Martin


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