F

Marco Martin
Defensive Tackle
6-3 • 340 • Fr.-RS • 94
Mesquite, Texas (Mesquite)

Big, physical and powerful defensive tackle who had an outstanding spring and will compete for playing time in the fall ... “is so strong that sometimes he’s unblockable,” said defensive coordinator Carl Reese ... missed most of his true freshman season while rehabilitating from a high school knee injury … gained valuable experience while redshirting ... a Parade All-American as a prepster.

Freshman (2002)
Redshirted.

High School
Coached by Steve Halpin at Mesquite High … three-year starter who played both defensive tackle and running back during his prep career … a Parade All-America selection as a senior … rated among the nation’s top five defensive line prospects by Student Sports … earned second-team all-state (5A) and first-team all-area and all-district honors … helped lead team to its first-ever Texas 5A Division I State Championship, a No. 16 national ranking from USA Today and a perfect 15-0 record in 2001 … recorded 96 tackles, 11 TFLs and eight sacks for a defense that allowed only 188 points that year (12.5 ppg) … posted nine tackles and two sacks against Plano East and led the defense to a 12-0 shutout against intra-city rival North Mesquite … rushed for 592 yards on just 89 carries as a junior … also threw the shot put for the track & field team as a sophomore and junior.

Personal
Born 4/6/83 in Dallas … enjoys playing video games and relaxing in his free time.

The Martin File
My ESPN SportsCenter highlight: Sacking the quarterback in the last second of the National Championship game
The record I dream of breaking: NCAA sack record
Favorite movie: The Fast and the Furious
The worst movie I ever saw: Three Kings
Favorite actor/actress: Bernie Mac/Halle Berry
Nobody knows how much I like to: Play football in the state of Texas
Favorite TV show: The Bernie Mac Show
Favorite music group/song: Jagged Edge, “Nothing is Promised”
I'd like to star in a music video with: Ja Rule
Favorite vehicle: Cadillac Escalade
My dream as a college football player is to: Get my degree and make it to the NFL
The biggest influence on my football career: My mother and God
When I first met Coach Brown, I thought: “This is the guy that I want to be coached by”
If I were to play another sport, it would be: Basketball, because that was the sport I wanted to play before football
I came to UT because: Coach Brown made me feel at home and I just love UT football