Ex-Nebraska football star makes indisputable case for UFL MVP
Former Nebraska football star Adrian Martinez might have found his pro football niche. No, he's not playing the NFL just yet, though some analysts believe he could be doing that once the UFL season wraps up later this spring. Martinez has found his niche with the Birmingham Stallions and he's done it in a way that he's looking like the top candidate for the league's MVP this season.
Martinez is coming off another stellar performance on Saturday as he led his Stallions to a big win over the St. Louis Battlehawks. The matchup was billed as a tilt between the UFL's two best teams, and the game certainly played out as though either squad was the team to beat for the title.
Martinez outdueled AJ McCarron - who is second in the league in passing - by throwing for 230 yards and 3 touchdowns to no interceptions. However, as has been the case in most of his games this year, Martinez's damage wasn't only through the air. He also led all rushers from either team with 60 yards on 7 carries.
Martinez's exceptional performance on Saturday was not just about the numbers. It was a game-changer that led his team to a 30-26 victory, maintaining their undefeated streak at 7-0. His consistent MVP-level stats are drawing significant attention to the spring football league at a crucial time.
Ex-Nebraska football star is showing off MVP level play
Saturday's performance put Martinez at third in the league in passing on the season with 1,202 yards and is second in the UFL in touchdown passes with 10. He's also got the least number of interceptions (one) among quarterbacks who have more than 30 pass attempts.
Martinez also retook the league lead in rushing yards (not among quarterbacks, but any position) with 387 yards. He also leads the league by a wide margin in yards per carry among anyone with more than 5 carries with a 10.2-yard average.
It is of course worth mentioning that the former Nebraska football star is putting up that kind of numbers despite the fact that he shared time with quarterback Matt Corral until very recently.
Martinez and the Stallions have three more weeks in the regular season and it sure seems as though he's got more than a passing chance to finish the campaign leading the UFL in both rushing and throwing.