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San Francisco Chronicle
10-05-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
How a promise between brothers propelled 49ers' third-round pick Nick Martin to NFL dream
It wasn't just another school day for Nick Martin at Pleasant Grove High. His older brother, Chauncey, would receive his prison sentence on Nov. 20, 2019. Nick got off school early to attend the hearing. Their dad, Michael, said Nick needed to see for himself how quickly life's blessings can be taken back. Nick grew up wanting to play the same sport as Chauncey. Decades before the San Francisco 49ers used a 2025 third-round draft pick on a 6-foot, 221-pound linebacker out of Oklahoma State, Nick was a scrawny five-year-old ready for his first season of tackle football in Texarkana, Texas. His helmet wobbled loosely. His pads appeared to weigh more than him. Somehow, he didn't seem to notice. Together, the Martin brothers dreamt about a future in football. Neither ever imagined the nightmare in which one would watch the other be escorted into a courtroom in cuffs. Nick felt his heart drop. Tears followed when the sentence was read. Chauncey spent the next 26 months behind bars, having realized how much he let down the person who wanted to win a Texas 4A Division II State Championship like he had, who wanted to go Division I like he did, who wanted to make the NFL like they both planned to do. As Nick and the rest of his family approached the exits, Chauncey called out to him and said, 'You got to do it for me now,' to which Nick responded with a brother's promise that gave each of them the strength to carry on: 'I got you, big bro.' 'Man, that meant the world to me, for him to get that at that moment and knew what that meant,' Michael told the Chronicle. 'When he said that, I knew everything would be all right.' Pleasant Grove was in the middle of a second state championship run at the time. Without Chauncey, a well-known alumnus who starred at running back in 2017 en route to the school's first football state championship win, supporting from the stands, Nick wore Chauncey's No. 21 in a critical playoff game. Pleasant Grove beat rival Gilmer High, 55-21. Nick rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown with one interception, one sack and one brutal hit that left the opposing team's kick returner slow to get up. He was only a junior. 'I had like my best game in high school,' Nick said. 'It was crazy. It was like God was with me. I was so blessed to be able to do that in his number and really just show that love for him.' As a freshman, Nick was known less by name than he was for being Chauncey's little brother, at 5-foot-8 and 160 pounds. Chauncey said he still remembers how their mom, Tosha, vetoed any possibility of Nick being pulled up to the varsity team after his junior varsity season because of his frail frame. Nick has never not been considered undersized. According to childhood friend Jordon Royal, nobody from his neighborhood questioned his toughness. He was the youngest of four boys. They fought so often, as is customary among brothers, that Tosha bought them boxing gloves. Then came the community boxing tournaments. 'I lost a lot in the beginning because I was fighting people five years older than me,' Nick said. 'I feel like that made me grow into my mind and how to approach battles on and off the field. And then I started winning.' From boxing to football to basketball, the Martin household was the place to be. At least a dozen kids showed up regularly to compete with Nick and his brothers, Chauncey, Ryan and Brandon. The number of players doubled on Sundays when friends from their local church would tag along. Tosha's seemingly unlimited supply of popsicles offered refreshment. Whenever they played two-hand touch football in the street, it was best to stay away from the curbs: 'We call it, 'Kill a man on the sideline,'' said Royal. Nick may have been the youngest of the bunch on most occasions but he wasn't picked last as teams were formed – to the surprise of some, until the game started. 'He's always been the smallest one but he's always had heart,' Royal said. 'Look where that's got him so far.' Pleasant Grove retired Nick's No. 6 and Landon Jackson's No. 40 soon after the former high school teammates found themselves drafted within the top 75 picks in April. Nick was not a consensus four-star recruit like Jackson, an imposing 6-foot-6, 264-pound defensive end who became a two-time All-SEC selection at Arkansas. But in the words of Pleasant Grove head coach Josh Gibson, 'Landon is going to hurt you, Nick will kill you.' Gibson said Nick is the most physical player he's ever seen in person. An MCL injury that limited Nick to five games in his final season at Oklahoma State may have affected his draft stock a bit, but 49ers general manager John Lynch jumped at an opportunity to potentially draft another Dre Greenlaw. Both are undersized linebackers, yet extremely athletic with relatively long arms. Greenlaw signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the Broncos as a career 56-game starter this offseason. Martin will compete for the 49ers' starting weakside linebacker spot next to four-time All-Pro Fred Warner after signing his own four-year, $6.6 million rookie deal (with a $1.4 million signing bonus). Chauncey, being the big brother he is, was frustrated that Nick's name wasn't called earlier. Nick had shown he was fully healthy as a participant in the NFL Combine and the Senior Bowl, and his MCL injury wasn't severe enough to require surgery. No matter. As a Day 2 draft pick, Nick, 22, fulfilled the reality he and his brothers long envisioned. 'If one of us make it, we all make it,' Nick said. Chauncey never doubted he would. Nick was a two-time team captain with Oklahoma State, including as a sophomore when he recorded the most single-season tackles (140) by a Cowboy since 1984. He earned all-conference first-team honors, with an honorable mention for Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. But even when Nick was a true freshman who appeared in but a few games on special teams, Chauncey watched any chance he could from inside the Barry B. Telford Unit of Texas' state prison system. He had lost so much. He was arrested at 19 years old for two counts of aggravated robbery and engaging in organized criminal activity. He was kicked out of East Texas A&M. And before Harding University gave him his second chance in football at the Division II level after he was paroled in 2022, he only hoped Nick would learn from his mistakes. Chauncey often pleaded to have the TV turned to the Oklahoma State football game in the final months of his prison sentence, if only to point out how his youngest brother kept his promise. 'He got me smiling while I (was) behind those walls,' Chauncey said. 'He gave me – he give me a lot of joy. I ain't even gonna put it in past tense.'
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
HHSAA State Softball: Kapaa & Mililani win State Titles
The HHSAA State Softball Championship games were held on Friday for Division I & Division II. In Division II, Kapaa and Pearl City faced off for the championship. Pearl City took a 3-0 lead after the 2nd inning. But in the 3rd, Kapaa tied it after a Jaicie Martinez 3 RBI Triple. The Warriors would then take the lead in the same inning, and never trailed again. Kapaa wins the Division II State Championship 7-5, and are crowned the State Champs for the 2nd straight season. Sienna Yamashita, Andie Iglesia, Martinez, and Rylie Furtado all finish with 2+ hits for Kapaa. In Division I, it was Mililani and Maryknoll who went head to head. The Spartans took an early lead after a hard hit down the 3rd base line by Palehua Silva brought in a run. But in the bottom of the 2nd inning, Mililani's bats found rhythm, as they scored 4 runs which was started from a solo homerun from Hinano Bautista. Mililani added another 5 runs in the 3rd inning that included a grand slam from Kodie Ancheta to put the Trojans ahead 9-3. The Mililani Trojans were able to hold Maryknoll from tying the game up, and Mililani wins the Division I State Title 10-7. Mililani and Kapaa both become back-to-back State Champions. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Longmeadow cross country state champions honored at state house in Boston
BOSTON (WWLP) – Fresh off their historic 2024 state championship victory, the Longmeadow High School boys' cross country team was honored at the Massachusetts State House on Monday. Caring Health Center opens new facility on Boston Road in Springfield State Representative Brian Ashe and State Senator Jake Oliveira celebrated the team's achievement, marking the first state title in the program's history. The Longmeadow Lancers secured their Division II state championship on November 16, 2024, with an impressive team performance. Competing against 23 other teams, they earned 101 points, finishing over 30 points ahead of runner-up team from Marblehead. Their success was a testament to depth and teamwork, with the top five runners placing 18th, 20th, 21st, 35th, and 37th. During the visit, the Lancers were formally recognized in both the House and Senate chambers. Ashe and Oliveira praised the team for their dedication, teamwork, and outstanding representation of Longmeadow on a statewide level. 'It's always a thrill to have a championship team from our district come to the State House to be recognized,' Ashe said. 'It's even more special when it's the first state championship in school history. My heartfelt congratulations to the Longmeadow High School boys' cross country team, and Coach James Flaherty and Assistant Coach Mark Staples on their Division II State Championship.' Senator Oliveira echoed the sentiments, highlighting the team's perseverance and collective achievement. 'The Longmeadow Lancers boys' cross country team exemplifies the power of perseverance, hard work, and community pride,' Oliveira said. 'These young men have set a standard of excellence to inspire future generations of Longmeadow runners for years to come. It was an honor to host these champions at the State House and recognize their remarkable achievement.' The day's events included a guided tour of the historic State House, where the team learned about Massachusetts' legislative process and the importance of civic engagement. The legislators also provided a pizza lunch in one of the State House's hearing rooms, offering the athletes and their coaches an opportunity to relax and reflect on their accomplishments. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
