CPA photos by Dr. Phillip Kemp

Martin leads Lions into quarterfinals after NFL, Florida, Furman career

 By CAROL STUART
Brentwood Home Page
As first-year coach Ingle Martin takes Christ Presbyterian Academy into Friday’s quarterfinals, he brings along experience as a Green Bay Packers quarterback, a stint playing for Steve Spurrier at Florida, college playoff time with Furman -- and even advice from his father in-law, former Vanderbilt QB Mike Wright.

Martin also played a big part in three straight state titles at Montgomery Bell Academy (1998-2000) as a quarterback and punter – and even was an assistant coach with last year’s Division II-AA state championship team, Ensworth.

Ingle Martin played for the hometown Titans.

“I was fortunate to bounce around the NFL for a little over 3 years and was able to be around a lot of good players and good coaches,” Martin said yesterday. “I thought if I could play 10 years in the NFL it would be an ideal career, and then I’d coach high school football and have a good time with it.

“I didn’t get the 10 years, but I’m still doing the second part of it. I feel that it’s the greatest job on earth to be around guys trying to learn the ways of the world and being able to use football as vehicle to get important messages to them about their destiny and who’s in control and what role the Lord has in their lives.”

Martin’s CPA squad (11-1) plays host to Pearl-Cohn on Friday’s 7 p.m. Class 3A quarterfinal game, with a chance to go for the school’s third semifinal berth including the 2002 state championship season. Last week the Lions edged Goodpasture 24-22, and Friday night’s game is another rematch from the regular season.

“It’s been a fun year,” Martin said. “We all got kind of in place last spring with the new guys coming in and a couple of guys staying on, and we just kind of meshed from the beginning as far as the coaching staff goes.

“Anytime you have a good staff put together, guys who like being around each other, it helps out as far as results on the field. We were able to build relationships with the players, and that’s what’s it’s really been about.

“Our job is to coach these guys up. They’ve given us everything they have, and they’ve continued to play hard.”

Martin has had plenty of experience of being around guys with successful pedigrees and a lot of football knowledge. He was recruited for Spurrier a year before the Ol’ Ball Coach left Florida, then stayed with the Gators under Ron Zook the next year before transferring to FCS power Furman.

The former MBA standout went to the quarterfinals his first year with the Paladins and then the final four his last season in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision.

At Furman . . .	after transfer from Florida.

“There’s nothing quite like the playoffs in any sport,” Martin said. “(Major) college football I think is really missing out on a tremendous atmosphere. Every other sport in the world has a playoff system. For us in high school to be able to experience that, where it comes down one game, just a few plays to keep your season moving on -- we’re excited to have that opportunity.”

After a successful finish at Furman, Martin was drafted in the fifth round in 2006 by the Packers, one season after Aaron Rodgers – who ended up last year’s Super Bowl MVP after the Brett Favre era ended in Green Bay amidst years of grand drama.

“They were just two great players – both of them are first-ballot Hall of Fame guys,” Martin said. “They both competed and played hard and played well. Aaron is playing as well as anybody can possibly play right now. … It was good fun, I learned a lot.”

While in Green Bay, Martin also became good friends with current Packers center Scott Wells, a former Brentwood Academy and University of Tennessee lineman, who now has a young son at CPA. Martin, a two-time Mr. Football at MBA, then moved to his hometown Tennessee Titans a year and also played a season with Kansas City.

“I’ve been able to be around some great coaches, and it’s been something I’ve been able to draw from these last couple of years coaching,” Martin said.

Martin also has another source to draw from – father-in-law Mike Wright, who quarterbacked Father Ryan to a state championship under Coach Boots Donnelly and then starred at Vanderbilt in both football and baseball. Wright also played both sports professionally, and his other son-in-law is former Vandy basketball player Matt Frieje.

“Having a father-in-law that a lot of people argue is the best player to ever play in high school around here is really big,” Martin said. “. . . He’s done everything that you can possible do and gone through all those situations. He sells lighting now, that’s his job, but he enjoys helping me out. And he’s someone I can trust with any kind of situation with professionally whether it’s talking with a parent or even schematically on the football field. He understands the game and he understands how to win.”

Martin is the father of a 2-year-son, and he and wife Jennifer are expecting a second child.

He says he enjoys being able to help the student-athletes on the Christ Presbyterian maneuver through life.

“CPA offers a great opportunity to minister into their lives, giving them a real-world application,” he said. “We all have come through similar circumstances these boys have in being an adolescent and the struggles they have. There’s something about the game of football that you can learn about yourself and about being part of something bigger than your life, about being the best husband, the best son, the best friend, the best brother, the best teammate you can be.

“We start them as freshmen, teaching them it’s not about you but what can you do for everybody else: ‘What can I do for you? How can I make your life easier?’ ”

While football is physically difficult as a game, it also teaches the life lesson to student-athletes that “no one person can win or lose a lose a game by yourself – just like in life you cannot be a family by yourself … Everyone knows when they have kids and spouses that it’s really about sacrificing what you want,” Martin added.

CPA got past Goodpasture last Friday night.

“It’s special to see when group of guys come together and play for each other and realize they have each others’ backs,” the CPA coach said.

The Lions this season have had a senior class, according to Martin, who has provided the leadership the team has needed to come together for the success so far.

“We’ve got nine great seniors, that have done everything we’ve asked them to do,” the coach said.

Winston Williams, the team’s safety and running back, is the team’s catalyst on both offense and defense.

Wide receiver-safety Sam Crawford is another player the team counts on heavily, along with Hunter Thurley, a tight end-defensive end who anchors the defense.

In the last week of the regular season, Pearl-Cohn scored 10 points in the first half, and Christ Presbyterian scored 14 second-half points to win.

“Our guys have had two great wins in the playoffs and we’re looking to keep the season going,” Martin said. “… We’re just excited to be a part of it, and we’re looking forward to Friday night.”