Football has always been about more than just the game for Eisenhower’s Nathan Martens. As he prepares for another season, the defensive standout is focused on making the most of the moments that have made the sport special to him.
“I think what I’m most excited about this season would have to be the games,” Martens said. “Those Friday night lights are the most unique experience I’ve ever had at high school. That will be what I’m looking forward to and what I will miss the most.”
Martens has spent the offseason preparing himself physically and mentally for the challenges ahead. A major part of his preparation has been improving his strength through powerlifting and maintaining a consistent workout routine.
“One of the main things was lifting, I need to be always getting stronger than what I was so I did powerlifting and once that was over I went on my own time and had a workout plan going at least 5-6 days a week,” Martens said.
Along with strength training, Martens has worked to improve his football skills and technique. He participated in a hitting camp at Maize South, where he competed against players from other schools, and also took part in 7-on-7 competitions. He also focused on improving his speed through training exercises, including sled pushes and resistance band workouts.
While Martens has already found success on the field, he knows there are areas where he can continue to improve. One of his main focuses is becoming better at locating the football when defending receivers.
“My one area I could improve on is looking back for the ball when I’m manned up on someone,” Martens said. “There were a few times where I would be right with someone and if I would have just looked back for the ball I could deflect or intercept it.”
Martens believes improvement in that area comes down to repetition and building the right habits during practice.
“The easiest way to improve this is just practice,” Martens said. “When I’m put in a situation like this during practice I need to just drill it in my head to look for the ball.”
Last season, Martens made an impact for Eisenhower’s defense. In eight games, he recorded 36 total tackles, including 26 solo tackles, 15 pass breakups, one interception and two tackles for loss. His performance earned him second-team all-league honors and honorable mention all-state recognition.
This season, Martens hopes to continue building on that success while helping his team reach its biggest goals.
“Our goal is to always win state and have a good culture for our team,” Martens said. “The main thing that comes down to it is commitment, effort, and attitude.”
Martens said the team believes those values are essential both on and off the field.
“We believe as a program that those three things are crucial to be successful on the field and off of it,” Martens said. “If we do not have a good culture we will not win games.”
Individually, Martens has his sights set on improving his postseason recognition. After earning second-team all-league honors last year, he hopes to take another step forward by earning first-team all-league honors and receiving honorable mention all-state recognition again.
“At the end of the day I want to go out and win every single game,” Martens said.
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