‘I Want to Show I’m the Real Deal’
May 09, 2025 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Antonio Martin Jr. is experiencing a full-circle college career.
The 5-foot-11, 220-pound Martin, a four-star prospect from Atlanta, Georgia, who initially stayed close to home at Georgia Tech, and then made stops at three non-Power 4 schools, is now back with a major college program at Kansas State.
He is a junior hardened by a gridiron journey, grateful for his growth, and eager to produce at the highest level.
"Everybody wants to show they can play with the big dogs," said Martin, who spent the spring at ULM. "That's a big thing for me."
Martin was a finalist for the 2024 Walter Payton Award, which goes to the top offensive player in the FCS, after rushing for 1,228 yards and 11 touchdowns for All-Southland Conference First Team honors at Southeastern Louisiana. He ranked 12th in the FCS with 102.3 rushing yards per game and 14th in total rushing yards and 35th with 108.50 all-purpose yards per contest.
In 2023, Martin proved to be a solid at Blinn (Texas) Community College and his 80.4 rushing yards per game ranked 10th in the NCJAA.
However, Martin's biggest period of growth came at Georgia Tech, where he redshirted the 2022 season and learned to be selfless after arriving as an ESPN 300 prospect in the nation.
"What I learned the most is you can't be too stuck on yourself," said Martin, who ran for 1,114 yards and 16 touchdowns in 12 games while leading Langston Hughes to the 2021 Georgia 6A state championship game.
Martin helped Langston Hughes to a 24-4 overall record over his final two seasons after the Panthers went just 2-8 in 2019.
"That was one of my most fun times with football," he said.
Any lofty expectations to make an immediate impact at the FBS level were shelved when he redshirted the 2022 season, thus beginning a journey that took him to other levels of college football.
"My journey was God's plan," Martin said. "You may feel like you have the world in your hands, but as quickly as you have it, it can be gone in an instant. I had everything in my hands. Then when things didn't go my way, I didn't respond the right way at the time. My world has been up and down ever since.
"I just had to be appreciative of my blessings. Not everybody gets an opportunity. I've been persevering, I've been up and down but keeping God first and just pushing through."
That's apparently K-State's plan with big-bodied Martin, who is set to arrive in Manhattan on May 18.
The Wildcats want him to push through on the field.
"I need to be able to grind it out, get in there, get five yards and break arm tackles, and gain an extra five yards," Martin said. "I need to be that guy. I need to be the bruiser."
Martin becomes the sixth running back currently on K-State's roster.
"I was in the transfer portal last winter and we had some communication there," Martin said of his familiarity with K-State. "They ended up not taking me. It was just the timing of it. Now DJ Giddens is in the league, and they need some production there. The offense, they run a little bit of everything, and it fits me more than where I was before."
Martin has great respect for K-State head coach Chris Klieman, who enters his seventh season in Manhattan after winning multiple FCS titles at North Dakota State.
"This was the perfect opportunity for me coming from FCS to FBS," Martin said. "I'm with a coach at a FBS school who appreciates the FCS. Coach Klieman and everybody there is transparent. They told me nothing was going to be given. You have to earn everything."
In a way, it's a new ballgame for Martin, who struggled at times, and now sees the light.
"I've got to give it all to God, man, and my family," he said. "God gives me the strength every day to get up and do it. Some days I might feel like I'm hurting and won't be able to go, but He opens my eyes up and gives me the strength to go."
Martin's faith developed under the watchful eye of his grandma Angelina, who passed right before his high school junior year.
"She was in good health, and it was unexpected," Martin said. "She was such a good person. I realized you don't question God. Grandma always said don't question God. I just had to trust His plan."
The plan has brought Martin to K-State football in 2025.
"What do I want to prove at K-State?" he said. "I had big expectations before the recruiting stars and rankings. I always believed in me. I just want to show K-State and prove to myself that I'm not the same person — I'm better. I'm better for everything I've gone through. I want to show that I can hang and dominate.
"All the FCS talk, people want to put a blemish on what I do. I want to show I'm the real deal."
He is excited for K-State's season opener in Dublin, Ireland. He is excited to help the Wildcats carve out a path to the Big 12 Championship — and perhaps even more — in the fall.
He is also eager for that first time trotting out of the tunnel in front of 50,000 fans at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
"Thank you," Martin said. "Hands up, head down, going onto the field, I'm going to say, 'Thank you, God,' and I'm going to tap my chest three times, and then I'm going to kiss the sky to my grandma."
She would be so proud.
Antonio Martin Jr. is experiencing a full-circle college career.
The 5-foot-11, 220-pound Martin, a four-star prospect from Atlanta, Georgia, who initially stayed close to home at Georgia Tech, and then made stops at three non-Power 4 schools, is now back with a major college program at Kansas State.
He is a junior hardened by a gridiron journey, grateful for his growth, and eager to produce at the highest level.
"Everybody wants to show they can play with the big dogs," said Martin, who spent the spring at ULM. "That's a big thing for me."
Martin was a finalist for the 2024 Walter Payton Award, which goes to the top offensive player in the FCS, after rushing for 1,228 yards and 11 touchdowns for All-Southland Conference First Team honors at Southeastern Louisiana. He ranked 12th in the FCS with 102.3 rushing yards per game and 14th in total rushing yards and 35th with 108.50 all-purpose yards per contest.
In 2023, Martin proved to be a solid at Blinn (Texas) Community College and his 80.4 rushing yards per game ranked 10th in the NCJAA.
However, Martin's biggest period of growth came at Georgia Tech, where he redshirted the 2022 season and learned to be selfless after arriving as an ESPN 300 prospect in the nation.
"What I learned the most is you can't be too stuck on yourself," said Martin, who ran for 1,114 yards and 16 touchdowns in 12 games while leading Langston Hughes to the 2021 Georgia 6A state championship game.
Martin helped Langston Hughes to a 24-4 overall record over his final two seasons after the Panthers went just 2-8 in 2019.
"That was one of my most fun times with football," he said.
Any lofty expectations to make an immediate impact at the FBS level were shelved when he redshirted the 2022 season, thus beginning a journey that took him to other levels of college football.
"My journey was God's plan," Martin said. "You may feel like you have the world in your hands, but as quickly as you have it, it can be gone in an instant. I had everything in my hands. Then when things didn't go my way, I didn't respond the right way at the time. My world has been up and down ever since.
"I just had to be appreciative of my blessings. Not everybody gets an opportunity. I've been persevering, I've been up and down but keeping God first and just pushing through."
That's apparently K-State's plan with big-bodied Martin, who is set to arrive in Manhattan on May 18.
The Wildcats want him to push through on the field.
"I need to be able to grind it out, get in there, get five yards and break arm tackles, and gain an extra five yards," Martin said. "I need to be that guy. I need to be the bruiser."
Martin becomes the sixth running back currently on K-State's roster.
"I was in the transfer portal last winter and we had some communication there," Martin said of his familiarity with K-State. "They ended up not taking me. It was just the timing of it. Now DJ Giddens is in the league, and they need some production there. The offense, they run a little bit of everything, and it fits me more than where I was before."
Martin has great respect for K-State head coach Chris Klieman, who enters his seventh season in Manhattan after winning multiple FCS titles at North Dakota State.
"This was the perfect opportunity for me coming from FCS to FBS," Martin said. "I'm with a coach at a FBS school who appreciates the FCS. Coach Klieman and everybody there is transparent. They told me nothing was going to be given. You have to earn everything."
In a way, it's a new ballgame for Martin, who struggled at times, and now sees the light.
"I've got to give it all to God, man, and my family," he said. "God gives me the strength every day to get up and do it. Some days I might feel like I'm hurting and won't be able to go, but He opens my eyes up and gives me the strength to go."
Martin's faith developed under the watchful eye of his grandma Angelina, who passed right before his high school junior year.
"She was in good health, and it was unexpected," Martin said. "She was such a good person. I realized you don't question God. Grandma always said don't question God. I just had to trust His plan."
The plan has brought Martin to K-State football in 2025.
"What do I want to prove at K-State?" he said. "I had big expectations before the recruiting stars and rankings. I always believed in me. I just want to show K-State and prove to myself that I'm not the same person — I'm better. I'm better for everything I've gone through. I want to show that I can hang and dominate.
"All the FCS talk, people want to put a blemish on what I do. I want to show I'm the real deal."
He is excited for K-State's season opener in Dublin, Ireland. He is excited to help the Wildcats carve out a path to the Big 12 Championship — and perhaps even more — in the fall.
He is also eager for that first time trotting out of the tunnel in front of 50,000 fans at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
"Thank you," Martin said. "Hands up, head down, going onto the field, I'm going to say, 'Thank you, God,' and I'm going to tap my chest three times, and then I'm going to kiss the sky to my grandma."
She would be so proud.
Players Mentioned
RB
/ FootballK-State Baseball | Highlights vs Michigan - Feb. 22, 2026
Monday, February 23
K-State Men's Basketball | Postgame Press Conference at Texas Tech
Sunday, February 22
K-State Women's Basketball | Tess Heal Senior Video
Sunday, February 22
K-State Women's Basketball | Mikayla Parks Senior Video
Sunday, February 22
