FHS senior Don Martinez has played free safety and running back on the FHS football team for four years. His job on defense is to protect against both the running and passing of the ball; while on offense, he is the one who runs with the ball. Along with football, he is also a captain on the FHS varsity soccer team. 

“I was the type of person just to try every sport and to see what I like and what I don’t like,” Martinez said. “I was always used to learning new sports and I wasn’t afraid.”

As a freshman, he made the varsity football team — an impressive and uncommon feat. Over the years on the team, Martinez has grown significantly as both an athlete and a person, showcasing remarkable drive and perseverance.

“I think my success as a player was mostly [because of] working hard and just pushing myself forward no matter what,” Martinez said. “Throughout every injury and throughout every struggle that I went through, I had to force myself to keep going no matter what.”

The FHS Football team has grown dramatically alongside him, amounting to a 7-3 record this season, their best in nine years. This year’s fantastic season was capped off with a monumental 37-0 victory against FHS’s rival, Homestead, to win the coveted Bell Game. Unfortunately, alongside the wins come the losses. He discussed the importance of moving on after a tough loss, and how to deal with feelings of disappointment. 

“I try to work on [my mistakes] in practice,” Martinez said. “My teammates and I have to be on the same page to focus on the game that’s coming up. When a teammate is down, you have to help them up and make them recover because sometimes others will hate them for their mistakes. That’s not how teammates should treat teammates or anybody should treat anybody.”

Part of any athlete’s success, often overlooked, are the hurdles they have to overcome to achieve such a level of performance. Shortly after the end of his sophomore season, Martinez unexpectedly went into a coma for multiple days for unknown reasons. Thankfully, he was able to make a full recovery, though he did have to work hard to improve himself afterward. 

“My biggest challenge as a player was being hospitalized and not knowing if I’d ever get to touch the field again,” Martinez said. “I went through struggles knowing that I was very skinny, losing a lot of weight, losing all my strength, my speed, and just being in a negative spot. Months later, I decided to force myself to eat a lot, go to the gym, and dedicate myself to the sport and push myself even though I felt pain. I suffered a lot. I still managed to look at the bright side and keep going no matter what and just keep playing no matter what.”

Another large challenge many athletes face is the balance they must maintain between sports and their academics. Martinez noted his method of finishing work before playing so it doesn’t bother him during practice. 

“During my sophomore and junior years, I would go to the library before school and during flex to dedicate myself to my work,” Martinez said. “I didn’t want that to be in the back of my head, knowing I’ll be tired after practice.”

Martinez has shown exceptional grit throughout his football and soccer career, and his effort to improve himself even after such a horrible incident is commendable. However, his dedication to self-improvement and athletic performance has extended far beyond his coma. He credits a large part of his growth to the coaching he was given, citing how motivated and determined he was to never give up. 

“Coach Ricky and Coach Kenny saw a lot in me and they made me do a lot,” Martinez said. “I remember waking up at five a.m. every day, going to Fremont High School and working with them. Footwork, catching the ball and learning how to play the sport. They pushed me until my legs were just shaking and numb. I remember I came home coughing to my mom in pain because I didn’t want to take it anymore. But they made me realize that if I want to be great at the sport or anything in life, I have to go and get it. Nothing in life is given to you and you have to work for it.”

Despite being a senior, Martinez’s football career is not over yet. He plans to compete in college, whether at a four-year school or community college.