Quinton Martin turns pressure into motivation on way to PSU
BELLE VERNON, Pa. (BVM) 鈥� The Nittany Lions have become a running back factory in recent years with the likes of Saquon Barkley, Miles Sanders and Nick Singleton. You will soon be able to add Quinton Martin to that list.聽
Martin is one of the most dynamic athletes in the entire country, ranking as the No. 46 player in the 2024 class according to . He ran for 1,279 yards with 22 touchdowns as a junior last season.
This is what the Penn State Nittany Lions are getting in 5-star ATH Quinton Martin 馃檶
— Locked On Nittany Lions (@LockedOnNittany)
The Belle Vernon High School star takes his craft seriously, but that is nothing new. Ever since he played his first football game, something clicked and he knew it was something he wanted to pursue.
鈥淓ver since the first game my mom put me in, it just sprouted from there,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淢y love of football just came with me; it just came with the person I am.鈥�
As Martin grew older it was clear that he stood out from the rest. He reached the prep level and already began to impress college coaches as just a freshman. Martin had offers from some of the biggest programs in the country by the time he was a junior.
He announced his commitment to Penn State in April.聽
1000% COMMITED ! 馃馃挋
— Quinton Martin (@Quintonanthony_)
The Nittany Lions were always a big deal in the household of the Pennsylvania native growing up, and at the end of the day, going to the school made sense on all fronts, including his great relationship with the coaching staff.
鈥淚鈥檝e always loved Penn State,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always been there. I鈥檝e always wanted to go there and no school ever wavered me differently. I always wanted to be a Penn State Nittany Lion.鈥�
Martin has always had the aspiration to play at the collegiate level, and eventually the NFL, but it is his tireless work ethic that has made that a reality.
Four-Star running back Quinton Martin running his 40. He fast.
— T-FrankOn3 (@ThomasFrankCarr)
鈥淢y thought has always been I鈥檓 the best player in the world and I鈥檓 gonna show the world why I think that,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 just always where my head has been.鈥�
Penn State RB commit Quinton Martin () leaves a defender on the turf as he heads to the end zone.
— Tyler Donohue (@TDsTake)
He is the crown jewel of the Penn State recruiting class and the undisputed top player in the state of Pennsylvania, and as you can imagine, pressure is something the teenager has to deal with.
But as he has gotten older and more mature, that pressure is now something he embraces.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 worry about the pressure,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淚t is always gonna be there regardless, it matters how you handle it. I look at it as more of motivation now. If I view it as pressure, I feel like I wouldn鈥檛 thrive to my highest goals because I would be too worried about what other people think.鈥�
Those goals consist of winning big in his final year of high school and once he鈥檚 at Penn State prior to starting an NFL career. But his most important goal is taking care of the ones who have helped get him to this point.
鈥淚 want to help my family out as best as I can.”