Kerry Martin Jr. has been in the news a lot lately. This morning, the upcoming sophomore cornerback has become the first Mountaineer player to opt out of the 2020 College Football season.
Mountaineer forever 💙 pic.twitter.com/bTVNy6b3lz
— Kerry “KJ” Martin Jr.🌹 (@KMartinJr11) August 5, 2020
Martin released a statement Wednesday morning explaining his decision. He began by stating that he had “many conversations about playing” with those closest to him, deciding it would be best to opt out of the 2020 season. Though he committed to the university to become a better person and player, he said “playing in a pandemic was not the plan” and that it is “not safe.”
Martin would also list his own personal health issues, sickle cell and asthma, that make him high risk.
What was the most eye-popping reason Martin listed for his decision, “my body doesn’t match my mental state.” Martin did not believe he could sufficiently perform in the role in that state.
