Cheesehead
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
- 2,854
- 0
After his playing career ended in 2005, Martin began embarking on a career in coaching around the same time Rodgers was playing little-league football.
While teaching in Atlanta, Martin made a trip up to Knoxville to watch Amari play and A'aydra cheerlead. Amari shined in the game, shaking off several defenders, while dad watched on.
"He made a couple moves on the field and I said, 'That's pretty natural. That was nice. He had a good feel,'" Martin said. "As he started coming to my place and staying with us and visiting, I started getting a little bit more into football (with him) to see if he had a love for it. Every time, he wanted more. He wanted to talk more. He wanted to do more drills. He wanted to ask more questions about football."
Martin received his big break in coaching in 2010 when Joker Phillips tabbed him to be Kentucky's new receivers coach. In the process, Martin would inherit the team's biggest playmaker: All-SEC receiver Randall Cobb.
Rodgers, now in middle school, took an immediate liking to Cobb. Both were explosive offensive weapons who hailed from Tennessee and played beyond their size. Even after Cobb was drafted in the second round by the Packers in 2011, he's continued to relay advice to Rodgers over the years.
Martin and Rodgers often would watch Cobb's film from his days at Kentucky and Green Bay. Prior to the draft, Martin suggested Rodgers dive back into the tape. His son's reply? He never stopped.
"He's like a big brother to me," said Rodgers of Cobb shortly after the draft. "My whole middle school career, my whole high school career, he's always been in my corner giving me tips on the game and stuff like that."
True to form, Cobb was one of the first to reach out to Rodgers on draft night after he was selected by the Packers.
Martin coached two seasons at Kentucky before accepting a job coaching USC's receivers in 2012. A four-start recruit out of Knoxville Catholic High School, Rodgers initially was slated to play for the Trojans before eventually choosing Clemson over a bevy of offers – including one from Tennessee.
It was a serendipitous arrangement, as Clemson associate head coach Dan Brooks, who helped recruit Rodgers, was also a member of Phillip Fulmer's coaching staff throughout Martin's four years at Tennessee.
Once Rodgers stepped foot on Clemson's campus, Martin knew his place. He was the parent, not the coach. If Amari needed advice, dad was a phone call away. Beyond that, Martin and the rest of Rodgers' family unit trusted the Tigers coaches to develop the young receiver's talent.
"They're really close and they stayed in touch a lot," said Grisham, a former Clemson receiver himself who was promoted from offensive analyst to receivers coach in 2020.
"I know, too, sometimes he'd go and he'd train, whenever he had time, with his dad. I'm a collaborative guy and I like to have the guys give their input."
The Tigers turned out to be a great fit for Rodgers, who played as a true freshman in 2017. The following year, Rodgers gained 901 all-purpose yards as a slot receiver and Clemson's primary punt returner (7.7 yards per return, one touchdown).
As much as Rodgers aided the Tigers' undefeated season, his dedication to returning as soon as possible from a knee injury that should've sidelined him for all of 2019 was a boundless source of inspiration to Clemson.
He was eventually honored with the Brandon Streeter Award, presented to the Clemson student-athlete across all sports who overcomes injury to excel on the field.
"He has an endearing personality and people gravitate toward him," Grisham said. "He's such a gentle spirit. He's got a great soul to him. He's got depth to him. He's more than just a football player. He's very wise, very intelligent. He's soft-spoken but his words carry weight."