CSC Interview: One-on-One with Saints Linebacker Martez Wilson (Part Two)

We get a little more personal with new Saints linebacker Martez Wilson in Part Two of our Q&A, so read on to find out about his short time in New Orleans so far and what number Wilson wants to wear in the NFL, among many other things you never knew about the third round draft steal. In case you missed Part One of our conversation, catch it right here.  

Thanks, once again, to Martez Wilson for taking the time to speak with the fans. Good luck to him this season.

Dave:  How have player practices been going?

Martez:  Practices have been going well. I'm just getting adjusted and seeing how the guys in the NFL workout. 

Dave:  Have you found a place to live yet? Are you settled in?

Martez:  I haven't got an apartment yet, I'm still staying in the hotel. 

Dave:  Had you ever been to New Orleans before being drafted?

Martez:  No, not at all. First time.

Dave:  What are you first impressions of New Orleans so far?

Martez:  I like it. The food down here is magnificent. I've got to get adjusted to the heat, though. I'm not a heat boy, ya know. I'm from Chicago. We're used to cold weather. 

Dave:  Yeah, just stay hydrated...

Martez:  I was shocked the other day when I woke up at 7am and it was 80 degrees out. Besides that, everything has been nice. 

Dave:  Have you bought anything nice or spoiled yourself at all?

Martez:  No, not yet. I have no money to spend. 

Dave:  Do you know what number you're going to wear?

Martez:  I know what number I want to wear but they haven't given me a number yet. 

Dave:  What number do you want?

Martez:  #94. That's my number. 

Dave:  Nate Bussey said that the scheme here in New Orleans is similar to what you ran at Illinois...how so?

Martez:  It's not too much different based on alignment and scheme. How we line up and what we read.

Dave:  Gregg Williams said the other day you would be playing the SAM position. Are you prepared for that?

Martez:  I can't wait. I like to be physical so that's actually a good fit for me. I like using my hands. 

Dave:  Do you anticipate any problems playing on the outside, considering you played mostly on the inside during college?

Martez:  Nope. Just getting accustomed to the position and getting to know the playbook. The more repetition, the better I'm going to become.

Dave:  Is there anyone on the team you view as direct competition?

Martez:  Anyone who plays the SAM linebacker position is my competition. We're all here fighting for that starting spot. I'm here to earn my respect and possibly earn a starting role. 

Dave:  Do you picture yourself a starter on day one?

Martez:  I do if I put in the work and show that I deserve to be one. I definitely think I will. 

Dave:  Do you find yourself being compared to Scott Fujita a lot?

Martez:  They talk to me about him but they don't say our game is similar. 

Dave:  How was the Heath Evans softball showdown?

Martez:  It was fun. I definitely wasn't expecting a sold-out crowd. That was surprising to see how much the community supports the team. 

Dave:  Did you play at all?

Martez:  I played center field. I was 1 for 3. The first ball I hit I tried to go for second and was thrown out, even though I was safe. The umpire called me out, though. My second hit I got a single then ran from first to home on the next hit. After that I popped out. 

Dave:  Do you have a pre-game ritual?

Martez:  Not really. Just listening to my music and talking to myself in the mirror. 

Dave:  Johnny Patrick said he talks to himself in the mirror as well. So you do that too?

Martez:  Yeah. I didn't know he did that but I definitely talk to myself in the mirror because the man in the mirror is the only man that can stop you. 

Dave:  Do you say anything to yourself in particular?

Martez:  I tell myself exactly that. I say, "Let's go. It's time to ball." The only person that can stop you is the man looking dead at you. And the man looking at me is me. 

Dave:  Do you have any tattoos? What are they?

Martez:  I have three. 

Dave:  Can you tell us about one or all of them?

Martez:  I'll tell you about my favorite one. My favorite one is on my right shoulder, it's a tattoo of a deltoid. It's the inner layers of a deltoid muscle. 

Dave:  So it's meant to look like you can see through you?

Martez:  Right. It's basically like my muscle. Like I'm just ripping through my skin. 

Dave:  If I stole your iPod and pushed play what song would come on right now?

Martez:  Young Jeezy. 

Dave:  What is it about football that you love?

Martez:  Tackling. I like tackling and being aggressive. Just being able to hit somebody as hard as I can. That's a good feeling. It's just a competitive sport. It's a sport that so many people can play as well. A lot of us play football at the younger stages but only so many of us make it to the NFL but you've got to have the passion for it.  That's what I love about it. The ability to run around, show my athletic ability, make plays, be able to play in front of a large crowd and have younger kids looking up to me and show them that they can make it if they do whatever they believe in. 

Dave:  Xbox or PS3?

Martez:  PS3 all the way. 

Dave:  Favorite food/meal?

Martez:  Chicken, macaroni, corn bread and sweet peas.

Dave:  Favorite movie?

Martez:  I've got to pick one?

Dave:  No.

Martez:  Alright. I've got a lot of them. I'm gonna give you five. Paid in Full, The Express, Friday, Confidence and Training Day.

Dave:  Favorite TV show?

Martez:  Family Guy

Dave:  If you weren't playing football, what would you want to be doing?

Martez:  Real estate.

Dave:  Really? Did you study that in college?

Martez:  I didn't. My major was in sports management but my major allowed us to learn the transferable skills to go into any field. So, basically, we learned facility management, leadership management, we learned about budgeting. We learned so much and my mind was going toward entrepreneurship. I just want to own things and start my own business someday. 

Dave:  Were you in a fraternity in college?

Martez:  My fraternity was football.