Recruiting process has been more fatiguing than fun for Utah prep athlete

Editor's note: The Deseret Morning News plans to follow several students who are at various stages of the recruiting process until they have completed their first year in college.

MURRAY — John Martinez isn't sure he wants to answer the phone anymore.

After 30 days of working out in front of college coaches and several weeks of fielding phone calls from coaches and reporters, the soon-to-be senior at Cottonwood High has grown a little weary of the recruiting process.

"It's just been a fairly steady stream of three or four calls per night," said his father, Steve Martinez. "Each coach gets one call and then he's getting calls from Rivals, Scout, ESPN, college beat writers asking him what he thinks."

What began as a flattering, fun exercise for the highly sought-after offensive lineman has become a tedious dance that he's not sure he wants to do anymore.

"If he'd already been able to visit the programs he's looking at, he'd like to make a decision today," said Steve. "Everybody says, 'You've got to come see us on game day' and we want to do that."

Fatigue may account, in part, for a spur-of-the-moment decision John made last Wednesday.

"Coach Cecil (Thomas, Cottonwood's head coach) called me into his office and said Notre Dame wanted to talk to me," said John. "He said, 'I think they're going to offer you (a scholarship).'"

After some small talk with the offensive line coach, Fighting Irish head coach Charlie Weis took the phone and began talking with John.

"He asked me if I was interested in Notre Dame ... and I said I'm sorry coach, but I don't think I am," John said matter-of-factly. "I felt bad. It's the first college coach I've turned down. But I thought it was time for me to be honest."

The 17-year-old said it is difficult to tell coaches when you are not interested because you come to like them.

"They're always nice," he said. "When I talk to a coach sometimes I feel like I'm playing them. I felt bad turning Notre Dame down, but I also felt good because I really am not interested."

Martinez said he's trying to keep an open mind, but he has already narrowed the field to the schools he will visit this summer and in the fall. He will attend one day of UCLA's camp and then head to USC's summer camp. He has also been invited and is planning to visit USC to watch them play Ohio State, as well as visiting LSU as soon as the high school season is finished.

"His list might be a little too narrow right now," said Steve Martinez.

LSU's offensive coordinator Gary Crowton said he doesn't like a player to turn him down until he has visited the Tigers' campus.