Canyon Springs players find spot at Southern University

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Friday, Feb. 11, 2011 | 2:05 a.m.

Jamaal Martin thought his football career was coming to an end.

Martin, a senior quarterback at Canyon Springs High in North Las Vegas, knew he had the talent to play at the next level. He just wasn’t being recruited.

That’s when Pioneers’ coach Hunkie Cooper got involved, sending game film and making phone calls to literally hundreds of schools to promote his player. Finally, Cooper found a college coach who saw the same upside in the 6-foot-2, 175-pound Martin that he did.

Martin on Thursday signed a letter of intent to play at Southern University in Baton Rouge, La.

“I started to lose hope, actually,” Martin said. “I wasn’t sure where I would go with my athletics. I just kept faith and finally started getting calls about a month ago.”

Martin isn’t the only Canyon Springs player who signed with Southern University. Four others — wide receiver Trey Evans, linebacker Eddie Smith IV, lineman Brandon Johnson and defensive back Marquon Webster — will be joining him at the Football Championship Subdivision school. Also, running back Malik Brown received a scholarship to play at Southern Utah.

All six can credit Cooper for helping kick-start the recruiting process. Cooper, one of the best players in the history of the Arena Football League, said he has more than 200 phone numbers of college coaches. He didn’t hesitate calling all of them.

“Coach Coop played a big role for all of us,” Martin said. “Any coach you can name, he has a contact for. And if he doesn’t, he knows someone who does. It was crazy what he did for us. You could walk into his room any day and he’d be on the phone with coaches or working on sending stuff out on us.”

In a ceremony at Canyon Springs to honor the athletes Thursday, Cooper spoke with pride to their family and friends about the accomplishment of earning a college scholarship. He became understandably emotionally.

“This is a great group of kids,” Cooper said. “I am pleased that it is happening this way. We know we have talent. We know we have great kids. The city and community is starting to see that.”

Cooper, like he has done so many times before, told the athletes that scoring touchdowns and making tackles wouldn’t be what defines them in college. Rather, what’s most important is earning a degree and becoming a productive member of society.

“Everyone of them has a story, and everywhere I go, I tell those stories,” Cooper said. “When they are bad, nobody has a problem publicizing it. But when they are good, everyone wants to keep it a secret. Well, the kids we have here are men of character. They are going to not only play football but graduate from college.”

The athletes each will gray-shirt and won’t enroll until January 2012. Advancing together to the next level is something they understand is significant.

“It is great. Such a blessing,” Smith said. “At least I will know four guys already.”

Martin added, “That is probably the greatest thing about it. We’ve grown up in this program together. These are some of my best friends.”