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Show StateSManSpOrtS Page 12 Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010 Journey: Junior college transfer looking to make impact this fall continued from page 8 chance to walk-on and eventually earn a full scholarship. While the school was all the way on the other side of the country, the nearby presence of Xavier's sister and brother-in-law provided him with enough incentive to take the chance. Eager to enroll in time for spring practice and classes, Xavier just missed the deadline and was forced to take the semester off. Still, he kept in shape by lifting weights and playing flag football and took comfort in knowing that he'd be able to enroll for the 2008 season. Things were finally looking up, and it seemed as though he was finally going to make his dream a reality. Then, the bombshell. "Everything was going good," he said. "I had my application filled out. I had met the coaches and everything seemed great. But what didn't go through was that a week before camp they said, 'Hey, your high school grades did not meet California high school requirements.' My credits just didn't add up, and I was dumbfounded." Xavier found himself between a rock and a wall. It didn't help that it was too late to enroll in another Division I school, or that he was clear across the country from almost all of his family and friends. With little money and no plan in place, Xavier felt trapped in an unfortunate twist of fate. "I'm sitting there as an 18-year-old kid, in the middle of nowhere, not knowing anyone, bored and quite frantic," he said. "There were a couple times where I broke down and cried." Most student athletes would have crumbled, packed it up and said "so long" to the dream of starting on the college field. But Xavier, made resolute by a firm faith in God and a desire to excel on and off the field, wouldn't give up so easily. He applied to nearby Grossmont Junior College at the advice of his girlfriend and instantly felt a connection with the Irvine, California school and its head coach, Mike Jordan, the leader of one of the premier junior college football programs in the country, Jordan captivated Xavier as soon as the journeyman wide receiver stepped on campus. "Just from the way I shook his hand I knew he was going to be straightforward," Martin said. "I was sold ever since then." Determined to make his junior college experience count, Xavier became an impact performer for Grossmont. He made First Team All-Conference as a return specialist ((("1(1' 'Jr c'3`Me-iliIii* weeC for our The reacock bag all ingreclientg for a tagt. tinae! Tagtecule 'N ne Yunnla icfri/Igg V Cirb I l & Afore! during his first year in El Cajon and finished his two-year career with 1,100 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns. Once more, he caught the eye of a young and up-and-coming assistant coach named T.J. Woods, who had just taken a job as the tight ends coach for USU. At the time, Xavier was being recruited by the University of Wyoming, but an unexpected call from Woods suddenly turned Martin to the possibility of playing in Logan. "I got a call one day and picked up my phone thinking it was just a random number, but it ended up being (USU's) coach Woods," said Martin, who first heard from the USU coach last fall. "He said he was watching my tape and that he was really impressed. He called me again the next day with (USU's Offensive Coordinator Dave) Baldwin on the phone and he told me, 'Hey, you're probably the second fastest guy I've ever coached.' Well that sounded pretty good to me, and ever since then, coach Woods would check in and call me whenever he could." Martin admits he originally didn't know much about USU or its football program, but was impressed by the persistence of Woods and Baldwin in following up with a phone call on a weekly basis. Convinced the team could use a dynamic inside receiver for the upcoming season, Baldwin and Woods spared no effort in their attempts to get Xavier on campus, even calling the wide receiver's parents and relatives in attempts to get him on campus. "Other schools were calling me too, but not as much as coach Woods," said Xavier, whose family soon took a liking to the young Aggie assistant. "That really impressed me - that (coach Woods and coach Baldwin) would take the time to call them." Xavier's family might have been sold, but there was still the issue of seeing the campus and making his final decision. USU wasn't the only school to be in hot pursuit of the JC speedster, as Wyoming and Temple offered him scholarships as well. But it was on that snowy day in December - the very antithesis of his days in the warm weather of southern California - that Xavier found out just what it felt like to belong. "When I came here on my visit in December, it was snowing bad," he said. "Mind you, I've been in San Diego for two years, sitting pretty in the 80-degree weather with shorts and a polo shirt on all day, everyday. But I came here freezing on my visit and things were closed with Finals Week but that didn't matter. It was just everything. The football stuff, the academics ... it was the whole package." Xavier, who is majoring in business, ended up committing on his visit and enrolled for the spring semester. Among the other reasons he chose USU were the school's reputation for having a high-scoring offense and the familiarity he felt around the Aggie coaching staff. "I chose (USU) over other schools because, quite frankly, they were ranked 12th in the country in total offense," Xavier said. "That statistic really stood out to me, and coach Baldwin and coach Andersen are just some great people. They are people you just want to be around and want to work hard for." And work hard he intends to do. Already hitting the weight room, Martin said he is ready to begin a working relationship with USU quarterback Diondre Borel, whom the JC transfer called "a natural born leader." For their part, USU's coaching staff has big plays for Xavier, who will likely compete for a starting position at the inside, or "Z" receiver position. A big-play threat whenever he touches the ball, Martin figures to also give the Aggies a boost in the return game. "(Xavier) has tremendous speed and elusiveness," Aggie head coach Gary Andersen said. "He is a great kick returner. We are excited to get him in the program." Offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin agreed, saying, "Xavier gives us another explosive weapon and offensive option. He has a great deal of talent and speed. We feel that any time he touches the ball, he can take it to the end zone." Xavier's impact is yet to be felt on the field for USU, but even though the wide receiver still has yet to play his first Division I snap, he said he feels as though God has finally delivered him to a place he can call home. If nothing else, he has finally come full circle and has seen his once faded dream of playing college football turn into a bright reality. And that, he said, is reason enough to look back on the long road to Logan and smile. "I have come full circle," said Martin, who will have two years of eligibility left to play for the Aggies. "I can't complain, and I have been blessed. Just to be talking about it all, I'm getting the chills and goosebumps. God could have chosen anybody to be here right now. He could have planted a seed in coach Woods and had him say, 'Hey, that is not the guy for us, let's choose somebody else.' God could have easily done that, but he chose me to come here." And that is cause to begin the countdown to spring practice and the drive to a new era in USU football. - adam.nettina@aggiemail.usu.edu www.a-bay-usu.com One 111).37 E vent Wednesday, February 3 10:00-7:00 ClassifiedAdS Utah State University • ogan, Utah • www.aggietownsquare.com Please note For more details on these ads (e-mails, phone numbers, etc.) please see complete listings at www.a-bay-usu. com Textbooks ACCOUNTING 2020 TEXTBOOK Accounting 2020 class, Managerial Accounting, 13th Edition, Used- some highlighting and normal wear & tear. Good book, I just dropped the class and need to sell it. $150 or best offer. You can contact me at cade_searle@live. com Thank you! College Books and I-Clicker For Sale: Calculus: Concepts and Contexts Third Edition. Use for Calculus I, II, & Ill. Great Condion! $45. Introdution to Circuit Analysis. Required for ENGR 2210. Excellent Condition! $110. English 2010 required books for sale(Call for details). Unused I-Clicker for sale. $20. 80GB !POD classic New 80GB Black !POD. Asking $180. TI-83 Plus Calculator TI-83 Plus graphing calculator is in prime condition, hardly used. Great for all your general calculus needs! I just need to upgrade to a higher level calculator for engineering. This one works great though. Include connection cable and instruction manual. Musical Inst. Art and Lutherie Guitar I bought this Guitar for about $350 and would like to sell for around 250 but I am willing to negotiate the price. It is in very good condition Personals Hey David, Did you see you can do your taxes online at www.havetaxes.com for $29.95 Tickets Utah Flash Tickets Utah Flash 2009-2010 tickets. 6 any home game tickets in sections 1,2,10,or 11; which are at either ends of the court. $10 per ticket or $50 for all six tickets. Student Jobs For more information on these jobs, see USU Student Employment, TSC 106. On Campus Jobs: C284-10 Teaching Assistant $8.50/hour C244-10 Filmer/editor $7.5 C300-10 Student Mentor/supervisor 10.00 C197-07 Research Assistant C305-10 High School Science Intern 7.90 C316-10 Graphic Designer $10-$12/hr BOE Apts. for Rent Private Female Room. Built in 2004. New furniture, carport,laundry, AC, internet, dishwasher. Large bathrooms and living area. Gas included. Private bathroom available. $275/month Call Zsuzsanna 435-757-1269 Today only, ring designer, Julian Goldstein will have hundreds of beaultiful engagement rings on display at S.E. Needham Jewelers. If you are getting engaged this is a selection you won't want to miss. Room need to rent ASAP Female Contract, Private Bedroom, $230 a month + utilities. Free wireless and washer/dryer. 2 awesome roomates! Super close to campus. Requires own furniture. Call Muriel (435)213-7696. 2 bedroom basement apartment Nice clean two bedroom basement apartment at 400N. 381 E. Call Rob 7703377. Female Apartment Contract(s) For Sale $400 for all of Spring Semester!!! Price is dramatically reduced! Heat Included. Indoor Swimming Pool and Jacuzzi! Townhouse Style Apartment. Located at 590 East Canyon Rd. in Logan. Call 435-764-8714 or 435-764-1806. Willing to negotiate! Store Hobo Monday - Sa turdav 10- 00 - 7- 00 Business Opps Where Ula. Gets EnsavcV IV North Main • 752-71-19 WWW.Serteedharn .corn Middle dl of tit Odoek ilgo 4!1h odae BUILD A REAL INCOME ONLINE In Your Spare Time! Easy Fun Business! Details At: www.shopgbg.com/biz/ mbrennan Electronics Complete the grid so that each ring and each pair of adjacent segments contains the numbers 1 to 8. |