How Oklahoma State defensive end Brock Martin is a 'father figure' for Cowboys' defense

STILLWATER — Oklahoma State defensive end Trace Ford had a wide smile knowing full well what he was about to say could get him in some trouble.

But he spoke anyway.

“Brock’s my dad,” Ford said.

A few tables away at the Cowboys’ media day earlier this month, Brock Martin’s shock about Ford’s openness was apparent.

His eyes widened.

But he let it slide, at least for the moment. Only because it’s basically true, not only for Ford but the entire Cowboys defense.

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“Brock’s my father figure here,” Ford said. “He always keep up with me. If I’m doing something wrong, something scandalous, he stops me right there. He checks me. When I’m going to sleep late, he makes sure I do … he’s been there for me since Day 1.

“Brock’s been my biggest supporter.”

When OSU hosts Central Michigan on Thursday, there might not be a more important veteran on the defensive side of the ball than Martin, a super-senior who is both an actual dad to a toddler and the father-like leader on that side of the ball.

The 6-foot-3, 245-pound defensive end is a man who commands respect with his toughness and wittiness.

“I just want everybody to reach their potential, honestly,” Martin said. “Guys like Aden Kelley, Collin Oliver, Trace Ford, Xavier Ross. I just try to pull the best out of those guys.”

Along the way, Martin has turned into his own dominant force while serving as an example of crazy toughness.

Last season, he had 41 tackles and nine sacks, all career bests. Despite multiple injuries — including a gruesome dislocated elbow — he missed just one game.

“He’s raised with mental toughness,” OSU coach Mike Gundy said. “He doesn’t know any different, and he would apply for another year. He really would. He loves playing. I hope he gets a shot to bang around and play in the league a little bit.

“His experience is invaluable to our guys because when they get hot, when they get tired, when things get tough, he can tell them, in his own words, ‘It’s going to be fine; let’s forget about this.’ I mean, he’s the guy that makes the plays at the end of the game a lot of times, right? Everybody else is tired, and he’s just mentally tougher than his opponent.

“He just never shuts down.”

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After dislocating his elbow and injuring his ankle, Martin stuck it out, even playing as his weight dropped. Over the final nine games, he lost 20 pounds.

He was only able to do one-armed bench press in the weight room.

“I think there’s a lot of guys that if they dislocated their elbow probably wouldn't be able to finish the season,” Martin said.

He spent the offseason working to recover. He’s back around 250 pounds. And with the added weight, he feels better on and off the field. He believes it’s the best he’s felt since arriving in 2017.

“Now it’s just staying healthy,” Martin said. “Hopefully, I don’t have any more unfortunate injuries. I pray to God those injuries are done for. I’ve taken my fair share, and everybody knows that. I’m just hoping and praying that I can finish the season without dealing with anything serious.”

Even if he does get banged up, don’t expect Martin to give in.

He’s proud of his toughness. He’s also just proud.

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“He’s the quiet guy that when he talks everybody listens,” said Brendon Evers, a super-senior defensive tackle.

That toughness makes Martin a fatherly figure for so many, including his son, Maverick, who is just older than 1.

“I think being tough is one of the more important personality traits you can have in life in general,” Martin said. “It’s like football and corporate America, if you don’t have that toughness gene in you then you ain’t going to make it.”

That’s often the message Martin passes to his teammates. He takes pride in helping the young stars like Ford and Oliver. He pushes Kelley because they both came from small towns.

And they are all better from it.

“It never hurts to check on guys and make sure they’re doing all right,” Martin said. “I’ll take that role on. I feel like I’ve kinda done it on my own. Just trying to pull as much out of those guys as I can.”

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State football: Brock Martin is 'dad' to OSU Cowboys' defense