Behind the Helmet: Wayzata QB Nick Martin

Nick Martin is living every high school football player’s dream.

A senior captain and starting quarterback for one of the top-ranked football teams in Minnesota, Martin is one of the most popular kids in school. He is also a good student and has developed into a leader both on and off the football field.

If there is a living definition of an All-American high-school boy, Martin is it.  

But it hasn’t gone to his head.

Martin sees his position in his high school as one that carries big responsibility—one more than just playing well between the chalk lines.

“We love setting an example for everyone. It’s a lot of responsibility, but I love the job,” Martin said. “It’s a great opportunity to show what the football team is all about.”

Martin played football through middle school until his freshman year, when he tried his luck on the soccer team.

He was back in shoulder pads the following year. This time he was under center as a quarterback. With little experience at quarterback when he started the role his sophomore year, Martin seized the opportunity to lead his teammates.

Now, after a junior season where he played every third snap during varsity games, he gets his first season as a starting quarterback.

As a leader of the team, Martin says he hopes to stay healthy and put his team in position to win games week in and week out. If so, the team believes they can reach their goal, which is constant regardless of the season.

“We have the same goal every year,” Martin said. “It’s to win a state championship.”

Martin excels in the classroom as well.

He is a member of the Wayzata High School National Honor Society, an elite group of academic standouts. The National Honor Society represents the school at numerous community functions, volunteers in and around the Wayzata area and helps organize school events.

But football and good grades aren’t the only things important to Martin: his Christian faith and his family also play crucial roles in his life. Time at home is often spent talking about sports and watching football. The atmosphere at the Martin house can often be changed by how well the Vikings are playing.

“When the Vikings win it’s a great day,” Martin said. “When they don’t it’s not.”

Among those that look up to Martin is his younger brother, who is a freshman in high school. Martin has taught his younger brother not just about high school but more importantly about setting an example for others.

If all goes according to his current plans, Martin's teaching won’t stop with his younger brother.

At the moment, Martin is thinking of going into teaching as a career. He doesn’t know what grade level he wants to teach, but one thing is for sure: he wants to teach history.  

Like most high-school athletes, Martin also hopes to be given the opportunity to participate in his sport at the college level, but he is waiting to decide where until the football season is finished.

After the football season, Martin also participates on the track and field team as a hurdler. But unlike many athletes that participate in track, Martin sees it as another opportunity to compete with others, not as a time to prepare for other primary sports.

“I don’t just do it to stay in shape,” Martin said. “I do it as a competitor.”

Martin says the biggest challenge in his life at the moment is balancing the many different areas of his life. Religion, school, football, family and friends all play a big part in Martin’s schedule, but he plans on continuing his balanced attack—on and off the football field—in order to continue his path to success as an athlete, member of the community and student.