 By B.J. Schecter, Sports Illustrated |
 | |
| Tee Martin quarterbacked Tennessee to the 1998 national championship. |
(TEMPE, Ariz.) -- -- The moment had finally arrived, something Tee Martin had dreamed
of all his life. Tennessee had just won its first national championship since
1951 and thousands of Vols fans decked out in bright orange were well into their
second rendition of Rocky Top. But Martin, beads of sweat trickling down
his brow, wasn't ready to celebrate. While his teammates were enjoying the
moment, Martin sought out Florida State players, to congratulate them for a
great
season.
This should have been all about Martin -- he completed 11 of 18 passes for 278
yards and two touchdowns in Tennessee's 23-16 victory, which capped off a
perfect 13-0 season -- but the junior quarterback wasn't ready to bask in the
glory. Playing second fiddle to Peyton Manning for two years taught Martin many
things, but none more important than how to stay
humble.
How else can you explain Martin constantly going out of his way to accommodate
others on Monday night. While his teammates were rejoicing with friends and
family, Martin made sure he did every last interview, took every picture and
signed every autograph.
After doing one TV interview, Martin met a reporter in the tunnel leading to the
Vols locker room when he remembered he had promised to do another interview. All
the camera crews were on the other side of the field and Martin could have
easily disappeared into the celebration, but he didn't. "Do you think I
should go across the field and find them," Martin asked a reporter.
"They said they needed me." So he went, dressed in game pants and a
cotton T-shirt. One interview turned into five and after 25 minutes Martin left
shivering in the cool Arizona
night.
It has been a long, arduous road for Tamaurice (Tee) Martin. His mother moved 22
times when Martin was growing up, but Tee was raised by his grandmother, who
lived in a rough section of Mobile, Ala., called Birdsville. There, death was
almost as common as life, and gunshots could be heard nearly as often as the
chirping of birds. To date 12 of Martin's close friends have been killed -- and
he played this game for every one of
them.
Right before each game Martin thinks about who he's going to dedicate it to. The
national championship would go for a larger cause. On the wristband he wore on
his left arm, Martin wrote the letters
"MOB."
"It's for Mobile," Martin said. "It's where I grew up, where I
learned to play the game and where I learned all about life and death. This one
was for all of
them."
It could also be said that this season was for them. Not many people
thought Martin could lead Tennessee to a national title, something golden boy
and No. 1 draft pick Peyton Manning couldn't do (heck, Manning couldn't even
beat Florida). Martin was in Manning's shadow for most of the season, but with
the coveted title he finally has his own identity. Steve Young he's not, but
bombs of 76 and 79 yards to Peerless Price on Monday brought visions of Young to
Jerry
Rice.
After he finished interviews and took endless pictures with Tennessee fans,
Martin sat by his locker and talked to his high school coach on a cell phone,
reminiscing about old times. As he headed to the team bus, Martin still clutched
a sign with his name on it from the interview room. He walked down a small
flight of stairs and just before he reached the bottom he threw the sign away.
For the first time all night, all season, he didn't need a
nametag.
Tee Martin is finally his own
man.
Sports Illustrated writer-reporter B.J. Schecter contributed daily reports
from the Fiesta Bowl for
CNN/SI.com.
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