Becoming the starting quarterback at Nebraska for Adrian Martinez wasn't easy.
"There was a time I could only get my arm up this high," Martinez said. "I didn't think I could throw the ball like I can now."
In his junior year of high school Martinez tore his labrum in his throwing shoulder. An injury that kept him out his senior season.
"There was a point where I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to make it where I was before, to get back to 100%," Martinez said.
But he'll tell you tit's just hard for him to quit.
"I believed I was destined, in a sense, to play quarterback and excel," Martinez said.
Today, Martinez says he feels better than ever. He's about to lead one of college football's most storied programs as Nebraska's first true freshman quarterback to start a season opener.
"I think Adrian's athletic ability was probably what broke, if there was a tie, that broke that tie," Nebraska head coach Scott Frost said.
A playmaker indeed, but also a guy who has earned respect of his teammates.
"He's somebody that is calm, collected and he respects us and we respect him," Nebraska offensive lineman Jerald Foster said. "So I'm not really worried too much."
"When he first got here, I could tell what kind of kid he was," Nebraska linebacker Luke Gifford said. "He worked his butt off the minute he stepped on campus and you can tell he's got the confidence to him a kid should have."
Make no mistake, it's Martinez's team to run. He fought back from an injury that can hamper a career, and now he says he's ready to perform under the bright lights.
