COLLEYVILLE, Texas — The saying is true. Everything is bigger in Texas. Take one look at Colleyville Heritage High School’s indoor football practice facility and you’ll understand.
“I would say most Dallas area schools have an indoor facility,” Kirk Martin says as he gives me a tour. Martin is Colleyville Heritage's head coach. His team just reached the third round of the Texas 5A D1 playoffs in his first season. Before Colleyville Heritage he was a quarterbacks coach and analyst at Syracuse University.
“Manvel wasn’t quite this nice, but we had a very similar weight room,” Martin says as he shows me the Panthers sprawling display of squat racks and dumbbells. At Manvel High School, Martin was blessed with an even finer luxury.
“They’ll be doing a (ESPN) 30:30 on him someday after he’s the MVP for the second or third time in a row and I will be the guy that cut Michael Jordan,” Martin says.
Before taking the job at Syracuse, Martin spent 10 seasons building the Manvel High School football program which is about 25 miles south of Houston. His tenure is now known for having Florida Gators QB Kyle Trask and Miami QB D’Eriq King in the same class.
“They were both very competitive,” Martin remembers. “They lifted more than our linebackers. They got after it, everything they did.”
The story has now become the stuff of legend and myth. It’s mentioned in almost every Florida Gators game broadcast. Kyle Trask, Florida’s record setting, Heisman Trophy finalist quarterback was a back up in high school.
“D’Eriq fit what we did a little better,” Martin says. “We had some quarterback run game that we liked to do.”
Just because King was the starter, didn’t mean Trask didn’t play. Martin would rotate Trask in every third and seventh series.
“You want a guy with that type of arm, that type of ability to be able to showcase his talents, you know, not in mop up duty,” Martin says. “When [Trask] was in high school the NFL was all pro style guys pretty much and I just thought if he could ever get a shot he could certainly be there.”
Recruiters were never a stranger on the Manvel High School campus so after King had initially committed to TCU, Martin tried to sell college coaches on Trask.
“I’d push him and push him,” Martin remembers. “They were like yeah OK, that’s your back up, how am I going to go back to my boss and tell him go sign this back up.”
Eventually former Florida defensive coordinator Randy Shannon took notice. Then former Florida offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, who had previously tried to recruit Martin’s son Koda to Alabama.
“I told him what kind of person [Trask] was, what kind of family he had, how loyal he was,” Martin remembers. “I told him, 'Here’s the thing, this guy isn’t going to come there and jump ship whenever the 5-star guy gets the nod.'”
The 5-star guy Martin is referring to is former Gators QB Feleipe Franks. Florida was looking to add two quarterbacks in their 2016 class. Trask ended up attending two camps at the University of Florida. After their Friday Night Lights camp Jim McElwain offered Trask. Martin remembers Nussmeier calling him afterwards.
“Nus calls and says we offered but he didn’t commit!” Martin tells the story with a smile. “I said well he’s going to go home and sleep on it. I said when he commits is what you want, it’ll be firm.”
Trask committed the next morning. After that Martin says that Alabama was in his office, then another school and another school, but Trask didn’t want to talk to anyone else.
“I gave them my word,” Martin remembers Trask saying.
It’s that kind of loyalty and character that made Trask stay at Manvel High School even if most other players would have transferred. It’s the same reason he waited behind Franks in Gainesville.
“This really is the best story in college football,” Martin says. “And a story for kids around the country to pay attention to.”
Martin feels vindicated after everything he told college coaches has come true.
“I’m not Nostradamus by any stretch, but certainly I knew who Kyle was and what he could do,” Martin says. “I couldn’t be happier for him.”
Now he envisions similar success for Trask in the NFL
“He already prepares like a pro. He did in high school. He watched every stick of film we had and asked questions,” Martin says. “To me, that’s what it takes to be successful. You have to be a pro.”
If his next prediction is correct Martin might always be known as the coach who had Kyle Trask second string, and he’s perfectly OK with that.
“I’m just overjoyed, just swell with pride, you know just having a small piece of his story.”
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