Recruiting game gets old for Colt

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," Steve Martinez said. "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 recently.

"Coach Cecil (Thomas, Cottonwood's head coach) called me into his office and said Notre Dame wanted to talk to me," John said. "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 Weiss 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 Martinez 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 no.

"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."

John 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," Steve Martinez said.

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

"Our game days are second to none," he said. "Sometimes they're not interested because they don't know enough about you."