Martel Black is just 20 years old, looking forward to someday being with a son that was born to him and his fiance last January. But due to a drug-related conviction, Black may not be united with his family until his son is six years old.
Black, a former University of Utah football star, was sentenced to six years in federal prison last February.The prison, in Fort Worth, Texas, has a reputation of having a fine drug rehabilitation program. Black, who was interviewed by telephone last Wednesday, says he will be through the rehab program in about
10 weeks, and hopes never to return to his old habits.
When Black came to the University of Utah as a Proposition 48 player, he was hailed as the most talented fullback ever to play there. "There are players that have what Martel has," running backs coach Wayne McQuivey said. "But they don't come to Utah."
Black claimed that though he tried drugs before college - he was introduced to marijuana at a party during his junior year in high school - he wasn't heavily involved until he came to Utah.
Though he declined to say who involved him in drugs in Salt Lake, he said there was ample opportunity to get them at the U. campus.
But Black says a history of drugs is something he wants to forget - and he wants to tell others to stay away from them. "I just want to say to people that if they use drugs, they only mess themselves up, because there are people trying to cause your downfall. They can get hold of you and you need to stay away from them."
As Black continued to use drugs, he branched out into other areas, including dealing, which he was convicted of. Asked if he was one of the people preying on others, Black said, "I became a victim . . . of lack of understanding . . . of knowledge of drugs. There are so many people around it (drugs) and involved in drugs . . . you let things slide. I never encouraged anyone to use drugs. I knew people who were using it and was around those people and stayed around those people . . . and then I stepped up the ladder."
Black said though he was tried cocaine, he "never had a problem with it." He did, however, say he got to the point where he was using marijuana on a daily basis.
These days Black reports in the afternoons to his job at the prison, running a printing press. He works out daily on the weight equipment and says his weight is a solid 225. He also works on speed and running.
He is up for parole in 1993, and his hope is that then, at age 24, he will be given another shot at college football. "College is my No. 1 projection when I get out," he said. "School is the backbone."
He said he hopes a college will take a chance on him and he will still be able to live his dream of playing in the NFL.
"I look at many athletes who were on drugs. I'm not the first and I'm not the last. But you can dream everyday and work towards it. I may find out differently, but right now the dream is wide open, and I put it into effect every day.
"Nothing is promised in life to no one," continued Black. "You have to go out and get what you want. I'm 20 years old. I have a long life ahead of me. Like I say, we all make mistakes. If someone is able to acknowledge the mistake and go ahead, my hat's off to that person."
Black says he blames nobody for his problems with drugs except himself. "I'd like to say that anything I did was in the past, it was a mistake that I made and I'm suffering for it now. But I am on the verge of recovery."