07 Dec 2011 Lonoke player overcomes challenges

By Donna Lampkin Stephens

Lonoke’s Dallas Martin has overcome more in the last year than most people two, three or four times his age will ever face.

Martin, 17, a 5-foot-11, 205-pound senior linebacker, is one of the 17 players named to the first 501 Football Team. Their coaches nominated them based on their play and contributions off the field.

On Oct. 30, 2010, the night following the Jackrabbits’ game with Stuttgart, the family awoke to an early-morning fire. Everyone escaped except for the family dog. The home was a total loss.

“Although being devastated and sad, Dallas wore through his sorrow and pain when some young men would have quit and felt sorry for themselves,” Lonoke coach Doug Bost said. “Dallas motivated his teammates by showing resilience, faith and determination to be a better person on and off the field.”

Football became his focus.

“After my house burned down, football was basically all that I had,” Martin said. “My teammates stepped up to help me. I got closer to them and Coach Bost. He was the one who showed up first and took me to buy food and clothes.”

The family was in a new five-bedroom mobile home before Christmas, and Martin poured himself into offseason football, aiming for a special senior season. Bost said he led the team every day in warm-ups.

But the testing wasn’t over.

On Sept. 9 — having played only in the season opener against Star City — he was a passenger in a car accident that left him with a dislocated hip, a split top lip and four missing teeth.

Just like that, his high school career was over. He just started walking a few weeks ago.

But he’s not bitter. Instead, he’s matter-of-fact about all that he’s learned.

“I guess I somewhat was taking football for granted,” he said. “There were days when I could’ve worked harder. I could’ve died that day. It basically taught me that I never know when it’s going to be my last day, and I should always work my hardest.

“There are better things in life, and basically the reason I’ve been into football is trying to stay out of trouble, and I’ve always wanted to earn a scholarship.”
He said before the accident, he had received recruiting attention from Southern Arkansas, Wayland Baptist in Plainview, Texas, and Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minn. But since then, the interest has dropped off.

“More than likely, I’m going to walk on somewhere,” he said. “But I have no clue yet where. Coach is still working on getting films together for me.”

Martin traveled with the team all season and continued his role as the Jackrabbits’ vocal leader despite the injury. He is active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and holds a 3.5 GPA. History and psychology are his favorite subjects. He hopes to study physical therapy in college.

The son of Vickie and Lavert Martin, he said being chosen for the inaugural 501 Football Team was special.

After the year he’s had, he deserves it.

“I had my times when I was down and almost losing hope, but I was looking at it like, everything happens for a reason,” he said. “God was showing me this time to go ahead and give football my all, don’t hold back.

“I figure I’ll come back from this injury stronger than I ever was.”