In one of his ‘biggest moments,’ this Bronco showed why he made a big switch

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Watching Boise State football march down the field on its first possession against Western Michigan on Saturday afternoon, Zeke Martinez felt the nerves that come when you know one of the biggest moments of your young career is potentially moments away.

Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson wanted to start the game aggressively, and Martinez knew that an early touchdown would likely be followed by a surprise two-point attempt. Not just any two-point attempt, though. One that would rely on him getting into the end zone.

As traveling Bronco fans in Western Michigan’s Waldo Stadium still celebrated junior tight end Matt Wagner’s 34-yard touchdown, Martinez and the rest of the special teams unit got into position. Martinez stood at the back of the formation, in his usual position to hold the ball for kicker Canaan Moore. But then he heard the call from offensive coordinator Nate Potter in his helmet — they were going for two.

“We’ve gone in that situation before and kind of shifted out of it, so I didn’t really know exactly what was going to happen until I heard it in my helmet,” Martinez explained to reporters Wednesday.

Receiving the underhand pitch straight into the chest, Martinez followed his blocker and barreled into the end zone, taking a Western Michigan player to the ground with him to give Boise State an early 8-0 lead. The Broncos went on to win 32-7.

“That was definitely one of the biggest moments I’ve ever had, just being on this stage,” Martinez said.

This isn’t just the joy of a player who finally made an impact for his college football team. Martinez has bled orange and blue since he was born. His dad, Steve Martinez, is a Boise native and was a linebacker for Boise State for one season in 1996. He never got to see the field, but has been a devout Bronco fan his entire life. That love for the team carried over to Zeke, who remembers cheering for the Broncos growing up and playing on The Blue as a third grader at the Optimist youth football camp.

He went on to start as quarterback all four years for Meridian High School and finished his career with 7,722 total yards, 86 total touchdowns and just 11 interceptions. He had a scholarship to Memphis but opted to walk on with his hometown Broncos instead.

The problem? Boise State isn’t short of quarterback talent.

Veteran QB Maddux Madsen has held the starting spot for as long as Martinez has been with the program, and talented freshmen Cash Herrera and Jackson Taylor joined the quarterback room this past offseason.

“(My dad’s) always telling me, ‘I want more for you than what I had,’ ” Martinez said.

If Martinez wanted to go one step further than his dad and see the field, he’d have to do it another way. That started last spring, when he decided to switch from quarterback to running back.

Junior tailback Dylan Riley had picked up an injury, and the coaching staff asked Martinez if he’d be willing to run some reps as a running back.

“Once I moved over there, it felt kind of different,” Martinez said. “I love being the quarterback of the team. But I’m really just a big team guy. I just love helping out the team in any way.”

After last weekend’s game, Danielson described Martinez as a “phenomenal” teammate willing to play any position. That mindset has transitioned Martinez from a backup QB to the Broncos’ ultimate gadget player, because he also maintains a third position on the team: holder.

He’d never held a ball in a live game previously, but he’s close friends with Moore, who suggested he try holding field goals this past summer. “It’s (a position) that people don’t really see, but I’m glad to be in that role and be that for the team because not a lot of people can do it,” Martinez said. “It’s harder than it looks.”

With a burgeoning quarterback group and a strong running back room packed with juniors who have two years of eligibility remaining, special teams may be Martinez’s home for the bulk of his Boise State career. But that’s all he needs. Whether it’s messing around with fellow students for social media videos at a men’s basketball game or barreling into the end zone in a big-time football game, Martinez simply loves being a Bronco.

“I just love this community. This has been my community since I was a kid,” Martinez said. “I just love the culture here, it’s something that’s really a part of me. I just love this family.”