The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
Hampton High standout running back Tron Martinez won't be playing football at Old Dominion following his arrest Friday on a number of gang-related felony charges.
"It is with regret that the ODU football program withdraws its scholarship offer to Tron Martinez," ODU coach Bobby Wilder said.
"Our scholarship offers to prospective student-athletes are always contingent on the young men not only meeting our academic and athletic standards, but also maintaining their commitment as good citizens in the community. "
Martinez has been tied by police to the 36th Street Bang Squad, a sect of the Bloods national criminal street gang. Martinez, 19, was 1 of 13 individuals arrested Friday in a sting operation that involved the Hampton police, Newport News police, the Virginia State Police and the FBI.
Six of the suspects are adults and their names were released; the other seven are juveniles.
Martinez and those arrested have been charged with a litany of offenses, including malicious wounding, conspiracy to commit malicious wounding, maiming by mob, gang participation, assault and battery, and assault and battery by mob.
Martinez and a 17-year-old suspect who was not identified by Hampton police were also charged with robbery.
Martinez is a two-time All-Peninsula District running back and was the Peninsula District Offensive Player of the Year as a senior. He rushed for 3,345 yards and 52 touchdowns in those two seasons and was considered a prized recruit for the Monarchs.
ODU's start-up football program begins play this fall.
Rich Radford, 757-446-2463, rich.radford@pilotonline.com
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Time to Fold Them.
Sometimes you can hold them but this was the time to fold them. ODU will find a worthy ball carrier.
History
It is a shame that Gov. Wilder still isnt in office- he could pardon this criminal so he could play ball.
Hampton Roads is still proud of our criminal who went on to play ball at Georgetown thanks to Gov Wilder's pardon (NOT!!!).
I applaude Coach Wilder
I applaude Coach Wilder for taking such a strong and decisive stand on this matter. He has said all along that he wants good people, good students, and good athletes in his program. He has always used that phrase in that order. I appreciate the fact that it appears that those words were not just some catchy slogan or something to which he was paying lip service to sound good and to gain community support. Now how about taking some of that scholarship money and rewarding some of those walk ons who have come in and proven themselves for an entire year. These young men are now a known commodity showing both their character, academic progress and athletic ability. How about rewarding them instead of giving out valuable scholarship money to unknown and unproven players who can embarass the program as was the case with Martinez.
cgergskins
I submit that it IS the job of the recuiting staff to vet both the athletic ability AND the character of those to whom they may grant scholarships. Martinez's list of charges goes far beyond gang participation.
JP Jone
What an ignorant statement. it is not the job of recruiters to determine whether or not potential student athletes are in gangs, if so many D-1 schools would not have athletes. i think most people are unaware of the gang problem not only here but everywhere. oh and here is a little tid bit, being in a gang is not illegal. participating in a crimes is.
How were they supposed to know?
and exactly how were coach wilder and his staff supposed to know that martinez was involved in a gang? he had never been arrested prior to this occasion and i guarantee you that his current school had no idea of his gang involvement as well! coach wilder and odu did the right thing in revoking his scholarship, but with no prior arrest, there was no way they could've known.
Where was the vetting?
I am glad ODU did the right thing by dumping him, but what does this say about the vetting (or lack thereof) ODU is doing on their recruits. Sounds like this kid was pretty well entrenched in the gang lifestyle, and ODU had no clue? Hey Coach Wilder, you better get your arms around this stuff BEFORE scholarships are offered. I don't want to see my school get the rep of a criminal institution like half the ACC.
Destroyed his future?
I agree, strongly with this action, but it's a shame that a young man has destroyed his future. It's too bad that these men choose a path that leads to ruin, destruction, and probably more jail time down the road.
Bravo ODU for not having a problem on your roster; you've done the right thing. It's just a shame that it came to this to begin with.
Scholarship
Good! We don't need this kind of trash or any of the trouble that he could possibly bring on ODU's campus. Thank you ODU for thinking of the general student population first!
Pay attention Virginia Tech
To bad Virginia Tech doesn't care this much about thier reputation. It's nice to see a university is doing the right thing for a change. Now give the scholarship money to someone who will actually go to class and wants to learn.