Ronald Martin says a prayer every time he steps out onto the field.
It’s his way of commemorating his father’s life and being thankful for his own. And after a 2013 season marred by injuries and grief, the LSU senior safety from White Castle has plenty for which to be thankful.
Martin has blossomed into a leader and playmaker in the Tigers’ secondary, regarded as one of the best in the nation. Before Martin could solidify his starting role, however, he had to endure a year rife with turmoil, starting with his father’s death.
After playing primarily as a backup during his first two seasons, he started his junior campaign with a combined nine tackles in two starts against TCU and UAB. But Martin’s father, Ronald Martin Sr., died of lung cancer during the week leading up to LSU’s next game against Kent State.
Martin didn’t see it coming.
“Sometimes he’d go two or three weeks when he was looking healthy and the cancer was going away, and then the next week he’d be worse. It was an off-and-on situation. He had a 50-50 chance.”
Despite his father’s sudden passing, Martin started and recorded five tackles as the Tigers trounced the Golden Flashes of Kent State. Martin’s teammates didn’t overlook his determination and dedication during his time of mourning.
“When he lost his father, he actually elected to stay with the team while he was going through that,” said sophomore cornerback Tre’Davious White. “That shows how important football and the team is to him.”
Martin sat out of LSU’s following game against Auburn, but teammates and coaches rallied around him.
His position coaches and fellow defensive backs reached out. Martin said Head Coach Les Miles made sure to talk to him every night. Even former Tiger defensive backs Tyrann Mathieu and Tharold Simon showed their support.
“We circled around him and told him we were here for him,” White said. “He was going through a tough time, but he’s getting his blessings this year. He spent a long time waiting and worked so hard in the offseason to lose weight and get his speed up. I feel like he came a long way.”
Martin returned to action in the following weeks. He made seven tackles against Georgia and broke up two crucial fourth-down passes at Mississippi State.
After sitting out against Florida, the safety produced his best outing to date by picking up 12 tackles, a forced fumble and recovered another one at Ole Miss. Martin followed that up with an interception the next week against Furman before injury derailed his season yet again.
Martin suffered a stress fracture in his right foot, and he played sparingly against Alabama before missing the final three games of the season. However, the safety turned his injury into a means of better understanding his position.
“It helped me learn the game, seeing it from the sidelines,” Martin said. “It let me put myself and imagine myself in those predicaments. That helped me a lot mentally.”
Martin took that knowledge into spring training as the leading candidate for the starting strong safety role, but another injury during camp prevented the senior from showcasing himself in LSU’s spring game. He sat out after an awkward landing on his shoulder during a scrimmage, leaving the spot seemingly up for grabs heading into 2014.
But Martin won the job in fall camp and hasn’t looked back, starting all four games at strong safety and leading the Tigers with 23 total tackles.
“Ronald is definitely a vocal leader,” White said. “He’s a guy that doesn’t say much, but any time he does everyone just stops and listens. When he says something, you know it’s serious. We look at him as the old man of the group because he’s been here as long as anybody.”
Martin may not say much, but there is something he says consistently — a prayer of thanks for the opportunities he now has after a season of setbacks
“[Last year] was very rough,” Martin said. “But my support system and God helped me through it. He puts you through predicaments to help you better yourself, so I think he put me through that for a reason. It didn’t do anything but make me stronger.”
LSU senior safety Ronald Martin (26) from White Castle, La. stares down Mississippi State sophomore quarterback Dak Prescott (15) during the game Saturday September 20, 2014 where LSU lost 34-29 in Tiger Stadium.
