Joe Martinek
Encyclopedia
Joe Martinek is a collegiate American football
player. He is the all-time high school leading rusher in New Jersey state history with 7,589 yards and is currently a running back at Rutgers
.
in Hopatcong, New Jersey
, playing American football
and track & field
.
As a senior running back at Hopatcong High School
, Martinek was named the state's 2006 Gatorade player of the year after finishing the season with 2,081 yards rushing and a career total of 7,589 yards for the Chiefs. He became the first player in New Jersey to gain more than 7,000 yards, and at the time of graduation was ranked 38th on the all-time high school football rushing list.
Martinek was seventh in the state in scoring as a senior with 160 points and had the second-best single-game rushing total in New Jersey as a senior with 396 yards on 31 carries and four touchdowns vs. Jefferson High School. He garnered First Team All-State honors by the Associated Press and the Star-Ledger. He was invited to play in the NY/NJ High School All-Star Classic.
Martinek also excelled on the other sides of the ball. On defense at linebacker, he recorded 54 tackles, four sacks, three interceptions and nine pass breakups. On special teams, he was 31-of-34 on field goal attempts (and 6-for-6 on attempts of 50 yards or longer) and punted 16 times with a net average of 46.6 yards.
Joe appeared in the January 11, 2007 edition of Sports Illustrated in the “Faces in the Crowd” section, highlighting his New Jersey state rushing record and tremendous special teams statistics.
Joe was also a standout track performer who won the state title in the javelin in 2007.
Martinek was a four-year starter at Hopatcong under head coach Paul Reduzzi. Coach Reduzzi on Martinek: “Joe is a tremendous individual and tremendous athlete. With the success we had on the field the last four years was a result of Joe helping his teammates and making them better on and off the field.”
Martinek was redshirted
his freshman
season in 2007
. During that first season, Joe did not see game action but helped prepare the team as a member of the scout team. He competed as both a running back and a safety during practice drills.
After his redshirt year, Martinek had a strong freshman season in 2008 with 404 yards rushing and four touchdowns. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry and was also a standout on special teams. He made collegiate debut in season opener against Fresno State (9/1) and caught one pass for seven yards in the second half against the Bulldogs. He recorded his first career carry in the first quarter at Navy (9/20) and one play later scored a five-yard touchdown on his second career rush. He finished the game with 61 yards rushing on eight attempts, including a 29-yard run in the second quarter. Against UConn, Joe delivered a big tackle on the one-yard line on a second-half kickoff against the Huskies. Against Syracuse(11/8), Joe took the ball from the direct snap and rushed a career-long 45 yards for his second career touchdown. Against USF on 11/15, Joe posted career-highs in rushes (21), rushing yards (98) and rushing touchdowns (2) at USF. Joe had 53 yards on nine carries against Army (11/22). He made his first career start in the regular-season finale against Louisville(12/4) and rushed 18 times for 57 yards, including a 22-yarder. He carried nine times for 58 yards, including a 26-yard rush, all in the second half of the PapaJohns.com Bowl against NC State (12/29) in support of Rutgers come from behind bowl victory.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. He is the all-time high school leading rusher in New Jersey state history with 7,589 yards and is currently a running back at Rutgers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights football
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represents Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision play...
.
High school
Martinek was a standout athlete at Hopatcong High SchoolHopatcong High School
Hopatcong High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Hopatcong, in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Hopatcong Public Schools....
in Hopatcong, New Jersey
Hopatcong, New Jersey
Hopatcong is a Borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 15,147.The area had been called "Brookland" in the 19th century and the lake that was expanded to become Lake Hopatcong had been known as "Great Pond" or "Brookland...
, playing American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and track & field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
.
As a senior running back at Hopatcong High School
Hopatcong High School
Hopatcong High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Hopatcong, in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Hopatcong Public Schools....
, Martinek was named the state's 2006 Gatorade player of the year after finishing the season with 2,081 yards rushing and a career total of 7,589 yards for the Chiefs. He became the first player in New Jersey to gain more than 7,000 yards, and at the time of graduation was ranked 38th on the all-time high school football rushing list.
Martinek was seventh in the state in scoring as a senior with 160 points and had the second-best single-game rushing total in New Jersey as a senior with 396 yards on 31 carries and four touchdowns vs. Jefferson High School. He garnered First Team All-State honors by the Associated Press and the Star-Ledger. He was invited to play in the NY/NJ High School All-Star Classic.
Martinek also excelled on the other sides of the ball. On defense at linebacker, he recorded 54 tackles, four sacks, three interceptions and nine pass breakups. On special teams, he was 31-of-34 on field goal attempts (and 6-for-6 on attempts of 50 yards or longer) and punted 16 times with a net average of 46.6 yards.
Joe appeared in the January 11, 2007 edition of Sports Illustrated in the “Faces in the Crowd” section, highlighting his New Jersey state rushing record and tremendous special teams statistics.
Joe was also a standout track performer who won the state title in the javelin in 2007.
Martinek was a four-year starter at Hopatcong under head coach Paul Reduzzi. Coach Reduzzi on Martinek: “Joe is a tremendous individual and tremendous athlete. With the success we had on the field the last four years was a result of Joe helping his teammates and making them better on and off the field.”
Rutgers
While in high school, Martinek received an offer from Rutgers the very first day possible.Martinek was redshirted
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
his freshman
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
season in 2007
2007 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team
For the first time in the history of Rutgers football, the team entered a season ranked - 16th in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls. The Scarlet Knights finished the season with an 8-5 record that included a 52-30 victory over the Ball State Cardinals in the 2008 International Bowl...
. During that first season, Joe did not see game action but helped prepare the team as a member of the scout team. He competed as both a running back and a safety during practice drills.
After his redshirt year, Martinek had a strong freshman season in 2008 with 404 yards rushing and four touchdowns. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry and was also a standout on special teams. He made collegiate debut in season opener against Fresno State (9/1) and caught one pass for seven yards in the second half against the Bulldogs. He recorded his first career carry in the first quarter at Navy (9/20) and one play later scored a five-yard touchdown on his second career rush. He finished the game with 61 yards rushing on eight attempts, including a 29-yard run in the second quarter. Against UConn, Joe delivered a big tackle on the one-yard line on a second-half kickoff against the Huskies. Against Syracuse(11/8), Joe took the ball from the direct snap and rushed a career-long 45 yards for his second career touchdown. Against USF on 11/15, Joe posted career-highs in rushes (21), rushing yards (98) and rushing touchdowns (2) at USF. Joe had 53 yards on nine carries against Army (11/22). He made his first career start in the regular-season finale against Louisville(12/4) and rushed 18 times for 57 yards, including a 22-yarder. He carried nine times for 58 yards, including a 26-yard rush, all in the second half of the PapaJohns.com Bowl against NC State (12/29) in support of Rutgers come from behind bowl victory.