While college students across the nation were enjoying a week-long break from the pressures of schoolwork, Nebraska’s Taylor Martinez was doing something quite different.
The quarterback, instead of relaxing at the beach, went back home to California and used the time to work on his throwing.
Talk about commitment.
Martinez worked for three days with quarterback coach Steve Calhoun, a man who runs a quarterback development camp called Armed and Dangerous Football Camp and can count Cam Newton and Jake Locker among his former students.
Martinez praised the three days with Calhoun as a wonderful learning experience, but if there was one lesson to be taken from their work, it was a simple, yet important message: improve footwork.
Not that this is a new concept for the Nebraska signal caller.
Martinez has been continually trying to correct his poor footwork this off season in an attempt to become a more efficient passer. Better footwork means a better throwing motion which means better passes. And Martinez definitely needs those.
The junior has been the starting quarterback for the Cornhuskers since his freshman year, but hasn’t had the greatest success throwing the ball. He has 23 TDs against 15 INTs (very average by modern standards) and has completed a mediocre 57.4 percent of his passes in his two seasons.
With basically all of his offensive weapons returning, this is Martinez’ year to step up. The defense has lost some star power so the offense needs to pick up the slack. It’s only spring, but Martinez has been throwing better and, as his work with Calhoun shows, he has the drive to become a better quarterback.
If Martinez can blossom in his third season, it could help Nebraska in a big way.
He’s improving in March, we’ll see how he looks in September.