Troy University Athletics
The Carlton Martial Story - From Walk-On to Burlsworth Finalist
11/26/2021 9:47:00 AM | Football
No Troy fan needs to be reminded that there weren't many positives coming out of last Saturday's 45-7 home loss to Appalachian State.
It didn't take linebacker K.J. Robertson long to find one, however. Robertson's eyes scanned the postgame stat sheet. Just before he took media questions, Robertson shook his head and whispered, "Eighteen."
Nearby reporters who heard this asked what he was looking at. With a noticeable mix of approval and awe in his voice, Robertson expanded on "18."
"Carlton had 18 tackles. Lord have mercy," he said. "Of course, he'll do that."
Yes, Trojan linebacker Carlton Martial will do that. He's done it for a long time. Best of all, he is going to keep doing it.
Martial has gone through parts of his college football career overlooked. Some stopped looking when they got to his size – his measurables are 5-foot-9, 210 pounds, and those may be a bit generous. But Martial never let those numbers define him.
The inside linebacker is fast and tenacious. Cerebral and physical. Chaotic and prepared. And he is consistently, unwaveringly productive.
His numbers are staggering. He is the nation's leading tackler since 2018 with 436 tackles – 69 more than his closest pursuer. He is one of just two players since 2000 at the FBS level with at least 425 tackles, 45 tackles for loss and five interceptions in their career.
Martial's 19 tackles Saturday (an error with the stat program noted after the game changed his official total to 19 tackles) was his fifth straight game with double-digit tackles and the 19th game in his career with 10 or more – a number that leads the country. The next closest player with double-digit tackles since the 2019 season has 16.
Martial has 120 tackles on the season, which is six away from his Troy record as an FBS school. He has at least 100 tackles in each of the past three seasons. He is second on the school's single-season assisted tackle list with 80 after recording 15 against Appalachian State.
He now has 436 career tackles, which is 23 away from the all-time Sun Belt Conference record of 459 held by Texas State's Bryan London.
Clearly, he's not being overlooked anymore. Recently, Martial was announced as one of three finalists – joining Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett and Arkansas linebacker Grant Morgan – for the prestigious Burlsworth Trophy. That award goes to the nation's top college football player who started his career as a walk-on.
The former Mobile-area High School Defensive Player of the Year – an award he won twice – said he was "speechless" to be a Burlsworth finalist.
"It's a big surprise. To be part of something this major, it's an honor," Martial said.
The Burlsworth Trophy is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth, a former Arkansas walk-on who became a standout player. He was tragically killed in an auto accident just 11 days after being drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in 1999. His brother, Marty Burlsworth, is the CEO and Founder of the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation.
"I had the chance to speak with Marty Burlsworth this week," Martial said Tuesday. "It was amazing talking with him. I'm actually getting on a Zoom call with him tonight. Just knowing the story of his brother, I'm speechless, let's say that."
Troy interim head coach Brandon Hall, who has been the team's defensive coordinator the past three seasons, was asked Tuesday about Martial's impact on the defense and on the program.
"I'll tell you this: If there's a humanitarian award that they would give out, he deserves that more than he does anything to do with football," Hall said. "I'm very fortunate to have had him in my life as a coach.
"He's physical, he's instinctive, and he's given everything that he can give to this game and to this university. There's not going to be a whole lot left in his body when he plays his last game at Troy. He's probably played more games hurt or injured and probably should not have played than any player that's played at Troy. If you ask him every day how he's doing, he's probably going to tell you the same thing whether his arm's broken or whatever it is.
"He loves Troy. He loves football. He loves his teammates. I hope one day that my son has a lot of those same qualities."
If he loves his teammates, it's pretty evident they feel the same about him. Robertson talked at length in his interview that Martial's presence led to the pass Robertson picked off on Saturday.
He noted the receiver had to make a decision – and probably chose wisely to back off rather than get hammered by a fast-closing Martial.
Numerous Troy players like Dylan Bradshaw, Jake Andrews and Jabre Barber all tweeted their encouragement for the Burlsworth. Former Troy and NFL kicker Lawrence Tynes called Martial a throwback player similar to ex-Trojan great Anthony Rabb.
Hall said there is another award that Martial would be in line for – the Butkus Award, which goes to the nation's best linebacker.
"I've been in college football now for 22 years and I've actually been honored to be around two players who won the Butkus Award (Oklahoma linebackers Teddy Lehman in 2003 and Rocky Calmus in 2001)," Hall said. "For him to not be considered one of the top people for that award, to me, is sad.
"I know he doesn't have the physical attributes that people are looking for, but I can tell you this right now – pound for pound, he's one of the best football players that I've ever been around."
Just being a Burlsworth finalist is a tremendous achievement. Troy's program has been dotted with tremendous walk-ons through the years. The program recognizes their contributions. Martial is the first Troy player to be a finalist for the award.
Again, from being a player largely ignored to being a defender, opponents have to account for speaks to his development and his impact. Coastal Carolina head coach Jamey Chadwell told ESPN+ announcers Clay Matvick and Rocky Boiman that Martial is his staff's favorite Sun Belt opponent to watch on tape due to his effort as well as his production.
Opponents will wish him well after games and ask if he is a senior. He sees their faces drop after he tells them he is a junior in eligibility and can return next season.
The linebacker is focused on this Saturday's challenging game at Georgia State in Atlanta.
"We've had our struggles with Georgia State in the past," Martial said. "We're looking forward to going up there and putting together a good outing – not just for our students and our team but for the program as a whole. We need to bounce back and get a big win this week."
He is an All-Conference performer who still practices like, well, a walk-on. He said before he was put on scholarship, he had other players he looked up to – particularly rush end Hunter Reese – and continues the lessons they taught him.
"Hunter and Blace Brown (both former walk-ons), they inspired me," Martial said. "I don't know where I'd be, honestly, without having that strong backbone and having that drive just to go and having those guys pave the way for me. It's just a huge honor.
"Hunter was a bandit linebacker on the edge; I was inside. That second year, being in the same room and being coached by Bam Hardmon, Hunter really taught me the ropes, him and Blace. They knew it was going to be hard being a walk-on, but they encouraged me to keep my head down and keep working, and when you get your shot, take full advantage of it and never doubt yourself."
He recalled the story of finding out when he had been placed on scholarship. It was in his second year at the school, before the start of the 2018 season, his redshirt freshman year.
"We were about to go out to practice, but we'd always start in the team meeting room, which used to be our old weight room," Martial said. "(Then) Coach (Neal) Brown was showing us our NOS – Not Our Standard – and our positive plays from the day before."
Martial said he wasn't paying too close attention but looked up at the screen and saw that Brown had put up a Tweet Martial had posted the night before. It said, "Everything I'm not made me everything I am."
Brown put up a social media post from a coach or player every day, and Martial figured that was it.
Then Brown loudly said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, let's go back," and had everyone's attention.
He clicked the mouse, and a new message came up on the screen. It said, "Carlton Martial is now a scholarship athlete."
Bedlam.
"The guys kind of jumped on me when he announced it," Martial said. "It was just a rush of excitement. Just relief, I can say, on my part as well as my parents' part. It was a big moment for me. I won't ever forget it. It was a complete surprise."
It is why he gets so excited when other Troy walk-ons earn scholarships. He relives those same feelings. He still sees himself as a walk-on.
One of his close friends on the team, Craig Slocum, last year was put on scholarship. Both are juniors and both are former walk-ons.
"Him receiving a scholarship this past year, I was excited for him because I know how he felt about it. We still talk about it to this day," Martial said.
It will be a long time before they stop talking about Martial around here.
It didn't take linebacker K.J. Robertson long to find one, however. Robertson's eyes scanned the postgame stat sheet. Just before he took media questions, Robertson shook his head and whispered, "Eighteen."
Nearby reporters who heard this asked what he was looking at. With a noticeable mix of approval and awe in his voice, Robertson expanded on "18."
"Carlton had 18 tackles. Lord have mercy," he said. "Of course, he'll do that."
Yes, Trojan linebacker Carlton Martial will do that. He's done it for a long time. Best of all, he is going to keep doing it.
Martial has gone through parts of his college football career overlooked. Some stopped looking when they got to his size – his measurables are 5-foot-9, 210 pounds, and those may be a bit generous. But Martial never let those numbers define him.
The inside linebacker is fast and tenacious. Cerebral and physical. Chaotic and prepared. And he is consistently, unwaveringly productive.
His numbers are staggering. He is the nation's leading tackler since 2018 with 436 tackles – 69 more than his closest pursuer. He is one of just two players since 2000 at the FBS level with at least 425 tackles, 45 tackles for loss and five interceptions in their career.
Martial's 19 tackles Saturday (an error with the stat program noted after the game changed his official total to 19 tackles) was his fifth straight game with double-digit tackles and the 19th game in his career with 10 or more – a number that leads the country. The next closest player with double-digit tackles since the 2019 season has 16.
Martial has 120 tackles on the season, which is six away from his Troy record as an FBS school. He has at least 100 tackles in each of the past three seasons. He is second on the school's single-season assisted tackle list with 80 after recording 15 against Appalachian State.
He now has 436 career tackles, which is 23 away from the all-time Sun Belt Conference record of 459 held by Texas State's Bryan London.
Clearly, he's not being overlooked anymore. Recently, Martial was announced as one of three finalists – joining Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett and Arkansas linebacker Grant Morgan – for the prestigious Burlsworth Trophy. That award goes to the nation's top college football player who started his career as a walk-on.
The former Mobile-area High School Defensive Player of the Year – an award he won twice – said he was "speechless" to be a Burlsworth finalist.
"It's a big surprise. To be part of something this major, it's an honor," Martial said.
The Burlsworth Trophy is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth, a former Arkansas walk-on who became a standout player. He was tragically killed in an auto accident just 11 days after being drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in 1999. His brother, Marty Burlsworth, is the CEO and Founder of the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation.
"I had the chance to speak with Marty Burlsworth this week," Martial said Tuesday. "It was amazing talking with him. I'm actually getting on a Zoom call with him tonight. Just knowing the story of his brother, I'm speechless, let's say that."
Troy interim head coach Brandon Hall, who has been the team's defensive coordinator the past three seasons, was asked Tuesday about Martial's impact on the defense and on the program.
"I'll tell you this: If there's a humanitarian award that they would give out, he deserves that more than he does anything to do with football," Hall said. "I'm very fortunate to have had him in my life as a coach.
"He's physical, he's instinctive, and he's given everything that he can give to this game and to this university. There's not going to be a whole lot left in his body when he plays his last game at Troy. He's probably played more games hurt or injured and probably should not have played than any player that's played at Troy. If you ask him every day how he's doing, he's probably going to tell you the same thing whether his arm's broken or whatever it is.
"He loves Troy. He loves football. He loves his teammates. I hope one day that my son has a lot of those same qualities."
If he loves his teammates, it's pretty evident they feel the same about him. Robertson talked at length in his interview that Martial's presence led to the pass Robertson picked off on Saturday.
He noted the receiver had to make a decision – and probably chose wisely to back off rather than get hammered by a fast-closing Martial.
Numerous Troy players like Dylan Bradshaw, Jake Andrews and Jabre Barber all tweeted their encouragement for the Burlsworth. Former Troy and NFL kicker Lawrence Tynes called Martial a throwback player similar to ex-Trojan great Anthony Rabb.
Hall said there is another award that Martial would be in line for – the Butkus Award, which goes to the nation's best linebacker.
"I've been in college football now for 22 years and I've actually been honored to be around two players who won the Butkus Award (Oklahoma linebackers Teddy Lehman in 2003 and Rocky Calmus in 2001)," Hall said. "For him to not be considered one of the top people for that award, to me, is sad.
"I know he doesn't have the physical attributes that people are looking for, but I can tell you this right now – pound for pound, he's one of the best football players that I've ever been around."
Just being a Burlsworth finalist is a tremendous achievement. Troy's program has been dotted with tremendous walk-ons through the years. The program recognizes their contributions. Martial is the first Troy player to be a finalist for the award.
Again, from being a player largely ignored to being a defender, opponents have to account for speaks to his development and his impact. Coastal Carolina head coach Jamey Chadwell told ESPN+ announcers Clay Matvick and Rocky Boiman that Martial is his staff's favorite Sun Belt opponent to watch on tape due to his effort as well as his production.
Opponents will wish him well after games and ask if he is a senior. He sees their faces drop after he tells them he is a junior in eligibility and can return next season.
The linebacker is focused on this Saturday's challenging game at Georgia State in Atlanta.
"We've had our struggles with Georgia State in the past," Martial said. "We're looking forward to going up there and putting together a good outing – not just for our students and our team but for the program as a whole. We need to bounce back and get a big win this week."
He is an All-Conference performer who still practices like, well, a walk-on. He said before he was put on scholarship, he had other players he looked up to – particularly rush end Hunter Reese – and continues the lessons they taught him.
"Hunter and Blace Brown (both former walk-ons), they inspired me," Martial said. "I don't know where I'd be, honestly, without having that strong backbone and having that drive just to go and having those guys pave the way for me. It's just a huge honor.
"Hunter was a bandit linebacker on the edge; I was inside. That second year, being in the same room and being coached by Bam Hardmon, Hunter really taught me the ropes, him and Blace. They knew it was going to be hard being a walk-on, but they encouraged me to keep my head down and keep working, and when you get your shot, take full advantage of it and never doubt yourself."
He recalled the story of finding out when he had been placed on scholarship. It was in his second year at the school, before the start of the 2018 season, his redshirt freshman year.
"We were about to go out to practice, but we'd always start in the team meeting room, which used to be our old weight room," Martial said. "(Then) Coach (Neal) Brown was showing us our NOS – Not Our Standard – and our positive plays from the day before."
Martial said he wasn't paying too close attention but looked up at the screen and saw that Brown had put up a Tweet Martial had posted the night before. It said, "Everything I'm not made me everything I am."
Brown put up a social media post from a coach or player every day, and Martial figured that was it.
Then Brown loudly said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, let's go back," and had everyone's attention.
He clicked the mouse, and a new message came up on the screen. It said, "Carlton Martial is now a scholarship athlete."
Bedlam.
"The guys kind of jumped on me when he announced it," Martial said. "It was just a rush of excitement. Just relief, I can say, on my part as well as my parents' part. It was a big moment for me. I won't ever forget it. It was a complete surprise."
It is why he gets so excited when other Troy walk-ons earn scholarships. He relives those same feelings. He still sees himself as a walk-on.
One of his close friends on the team, Craig Slocum, last year was put on scholarship. Both are juniors and both are former walk-ons.
"Him receiving a scholarship this past year, I was excited for him because I know how he felt about it. We still talk about it to this day," Martial said.
It will be a long time before they stop talking about Martial around here.
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