Anderson County QB Stanton Martin targets a receiver during spring practice. (photo: Shawn Millsaps)
By Jesse Smithey
Anderson County High School senior quarterback Stanton Martin was just days away from being cleared by his doctor from his 2017 season-ending knee injury, when he suffered yet another setback the first week of June.
During an early morning throwing session, he fractured his right fibula and tore some ligaments on his right ankle.
Surgery ensued, but his senior season wasn’t stolen away. Doctors said he’d be out just 8-10 weeks, so it’s possible he could return for the 5Star Preps Kickoff Classic – Saturday, Aug. 18 against visiting Carter.
Nevertheless, Martin – a finalist for 2017 Class 4A Mr. Football – has been through the ringer physically during his prep career. He’s had a torn labrum, broken jaw and ACL/MCL tear end his three seasons, respectively, so far.
But his mental steadfastness doesn’t seem to wobble much. He gave 5Star Preps an interview Tuesday to let everyone know how his recovery is going.
Take me back to the injury day. Y’all were out throwing in the morning on the turf?
Yes, we were. We have workouts at 6 (a.m.) and start practicing at 7. It’s just kind of dew-ey outside, really. We were doing R.P.O. (Run-pass option), and the read told me to pull it. So I ended up rolling out left. I sprinted out left full speed, and I stopped to throw. My left foot slid out from under me and my right foot twisted underneath my body weight. I heard this “pop.” It was one of those freak accidents. Nothing you can do about it. Nobody pushed me or anything.
Did you try and stay and play on it or was it noticeably broken?
I couldn’t put any weight on it, really. I didn’t even try. I heard that “pop.” … We were hoping it was a sprain and that it would be a boot (recovery) thing. But in the next 2-3 hours, we thankfully got into K.O.C. (Knoxville Orthopedic Clinic) and was able to see the same doctor who did my knee and my shoulder surgery. We got some X-rays done, and he said there was a break at the bottom of my fibula and I tore – on the other side – some of my deltoid ligaments. It’s just one of those crazy things.
When you got that official diagnosis, what went through your mind? Were you exasperated or frustrated?
You go in and anticipate the worst. You’re hoping for a sprain, but you anticipate the worst. We knew by the swelling that it was going to be a month, at least, before I was back running around. I knew that it was something I’d been through three times already. It’s not taken a toll on me. It wasn’t devastating news. I just knew it was something I’d already been through and I knew it would be another hump in the road. We got the news that it would be another 8-10 weeks, so that put me around a week before our first game. I’m guessing that, depending on how practice goes and how stable my ankle is, I’ll play that first game. I’m excited about it being that first game of the season, but also it being that 5Star Preps Game. The hype going into it.
Can you throw at all right now? Just to stay active?
I’m on crutches for six weeks total. I’ve been sitting in a chair throwing. Nothing too strenuous. But I’ve just now, this week, started upper-body workouts. I had a follow-up appointment with my doctor last Thursday and he said, “You can start doing some workouts on your leg and doing some upper-body work.” That’s what I’ve been doing. As the weeks go on, I’ll do more. I need to keep my touch and my follow through. Not go in cold turkey at the end of July or first of August and try to get back into the groove of football.
Obviously you were getting scholarship offers. Have those teams been supportive?
They have, actually. All three of the schools (Davidson, Harding, Centre) who’ve offered me have said, “What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger.” The offers are still on the table, and they’re still looking to see how I do my senior year. They haven’t mentioned anything about pulling scholarships. They’ve just been saying, “You got this.” They know about my ACL and my other injuries. They’re like, “You’ve been through it before. Just go do it. Rehab and be back this senior year and have a good year.”
You probably had overwhelming support from friends and family and teammates. But for those colleges to be in your corner, too, has to feel good. I’m sure there was a moment when you feared they’d back out on you.
Right, I did. I didn’t even think about it until last week. I texted a few of the coaches. I explained the situation. They asked to call me. I didn’t think about it. But I thought, “Oh, wow. I’m getting ready to call this coach. It could be a pull of an offer.” But it was really relieving to hear their support. That was really surprising. They’re people I’ve never really met before but have talked to on the phone. It did relieve some anxiety.
To have gone through this before and have everyone be reach out to you in support, what does it mean to you to have all these people in your corner?
My freshman year, I felt so much support – not only from my friends and from my family – but from the seniors. Same thing my sophomore year. Every single year, the outreach of people texting you and people knowing. Before I was even done at the doctor (this time), I had people texting me. It spread like wildfire, the news did. People I didn’t even know personally were reaching out and being supportive. Having them in my corner, like you said. Coach (Davey) Gillum has been up to my house to see me along with some other coaches and teammates. They’re texting me every day to make sure my head’s alright, making sure everything’s going good and that I’m healing fine. … one of the most notable experiences to come out of this is how supportive people are and how humbling it is to see the outreach.
I just think people know your story and when people saw the update on your injury, it was a kick to the gut for all of us.
Right. Yeah. That’s a good way to describe. But it was just – when you get kicked in the gut and go down, just get back up and hopefully it makes you stronger. It was definitely not expected. It was funny, because that next Thursday I was supposed to get cleared completely from my ACL. But I saw that same doctor, and he said, “You don’t have to worry about coming in that next Thursday.” It’s just funny how it all happened. You have to find the humor in it, too. It was such a freak accident. Nobody was around me. I was so close to being released. It was surprising.