By Concepcion Ledezma Riverbend News
Even Class 1A school Hamilton County partook in National Signing Day when standout lineman Jhebari Martin declared he was heading to continue his football career at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU).
The 6’5”, 315-pound soon-to-be Rattler made the announcement in front of approximately 200 people in the school auditorium on a day which happened to fall on a teacher workday at HCHS on Wednesday, Feb. 3.
His mother, Latoya Martin and father, Michael Brinson, were on hand along with members of his extended family, faculty and school district dignitaries that included superintendent Dorothy Wetherington Zamora, assistant superintendent Philip Pinello and principal Donnie Harrison.
Head coach Kirk Mitchell introduced Martin as the ninth player in school history to commit to a Div. I NCAA football program.
He is slated to play on the offensive line at FAMU.
"I've been dreaming about this moment since I was a little kid," said Martin, who plans to major in sports management. "A lot of work went into getting to this moment. I'm excited about going to the next level."
Martin was productive on both sides of the ball while the Trojans endured a rebuilding 2-6 season under Mitchell's first season. With Martin mostly playing at right tackle, Hamilton running backs combined to rush for more than 1,200 yards.
He was just as productive on the defensive line, leading the team with 18 lost-yardage tackles, along with recording 39 total tackles, including one sack.
"What impressed the college coaches about [Martin] is that he's got great footwork for a big guy," Mitchell said. "That's going to be a great tool for him when plays offensive line in college. He's fast for someone his size.
"The challenge for him is to be consistent with hitting the weight room every day. College is going to be a grind, so you've got to make sure you stay fit."
Martin and his fellow Trojans are currently preparing for an attempt at a postseason run in basketball, where he is also an integral part of the team; he is averaging 17 points and eight rebounds per game for the 7-6 Trojans, but 5-1 in district play. He recently scored a season-high 30 points against Lafayette in a recent 89-80 victory.
Martin said the memory he'll cherish most "is just being with my teammates. It was like family. I'll probably miss that the most."
Delaware State University was the other school Martin was considering before deciding to stay closer to home.
FAMU last played in 2019, finishing with a 9-2 record, including a 6-1 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The MEAC canceled all fall sports in 2020 due to the current COVID pandemic.