After finishing second in the balloting last year, Weber State junior quarterback Jamie Martin was today named the winner of the Walter Payton Trophy, the NCAA Division I-AA's version of the Heisman and an indication of being the best player in the country in that division, in a luncheon ceremony at Bill Rose's Sporting Club in New York City.
"It wasn't really a goal, but it means a lot. I'm happier for our school and our team," Martin told the Deseret News by telephone from New York Monday morning. "It means a lot of attention for our team," he said."He's a pretty special kid," said Weber coach Dave Arslanian, also by phone from New York. "He's pretty excited."
Weber State was picked in preseason polls to finish seventh in the Big Sky Conference, but the 8-4 Wildcats placed second and won a berth in the I-AA playoffs, and Arslanian indicated that Monday's Payton award caps that effort. "It (balloting) was really so close last year," he said, "and now to be over the hump, with the kind of season we had with him pulling the trigger . . . ."
Martin also told the Deseret News Monday that he will stay at Weber State for his senior year rather than declaring himself eligible for the summer's NFL draft. It's a decision he apparently reached in the last week while at home in Arroyo Grande, Calif., visiting his parents.
"I suspected he would," said Arslanian. "I've been planning on it all along, and I think he has, too."
"It's just best for me to stay," said Martin, who said he'd discussed the possibility of going to the NFL with Arslanian. "The pro scouts say it's better for a quarterback to stay because he'd probably be sitting for a couple of years, and it's better to have the experience," Martin said.
"It's not realistic," he continued, "coming from a school like Weber State, to get picked high (in the draft)."
Martin has known for about a week that he would be the Payton Trophy winner.
"I'm happy," he said.
Martin's mother, Cindi, accompanied him to the award ceremony. "She's happier than I am," said Martin, adding that their flight was delayed three hours while a new duct was installed in the plane and they missed their connection in St. Louis. The Martins arrived in New York City at about 12:30 a.m. Monday, he said.
Weber sent a delegation including athletic director Richard Hannan, Arslanian and sports information director Brad Larsen.
Martin led NCAA I-AA in total offense for the second straight season, averaging 394.3 yards in 1991, the second-best single-season mark in division history. He was responsible for 37 touchdowns, 35 by passing. Weber led the nation in total offense (580.9), passing (389.0) and was second in scoring (45.0). In the regular season's final game, at Idaho State, Martin set three Division I-AA single-game records for individual total offense (643), individual passing (624) and passescompleted .
He was named to the Kodak All-America I-AA first team two weeks ago, is a first-team Sports Network All-American for the second time and is Big Sky offensive player of the year for the second time. He was Sports Illustrated's National Offensive Player of the Week for a seven-touchdown effort, a Big Sky record, in Weber's 63-59 comeback win over Eastern Washington Sept. 28.
Martin said that, despite finishing second in Payton Trophy balloting last year to Grambling State running back Walter Dean, he never thought about winning this year. He added, "I'm not thinking about winning again (next year), just like I didn't think about it this year."
The Payton Trophy is 5 years old. Other winners have been Colgate running back Kenny Gamble in 1987, Towson State runner Dave Meggett in '88 and Idaho quarterback and current San Diego Chargers starter John Friesz in '89. Martin broke Friesz's Big Sky single-season records for total offense (4,337) and passing (4,125). Both numbers are the second-best in I-AA history.
The award is voted on by the 89-school division's sports information directors.
The Big Sky swept the awards. Nevada's Chris Ault was named Eddie Robinson I-AA Coach of the Year.