{{Short description|American college football player (born 1999)}} {{Use American English|date=December 2022}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox college football player | name = Carlton Martial | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | pastschools = * Troy (2017–2022) | currentnumber = 38, 2 | currentposition = Linebacker | class = | major = | highschool = McGill–Toolen Catholic <br> (Mobile, Alabama) | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1999|4|11}} | birth_place = Mobile, Alabama, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 9 | weight_lb = 210 | highlights = * Sun Belt Male Athlete of the Year (2022) * Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year (2022) * 4× First-team All-Sun Belt (2019–2022) * Freshman All-American (2018) ; FBS record * Most career total tackles: 578 }}
'''Carlton Anthony Martial''' (born April 11, 1999) is an American former college football linebacker. He played for the Troy Trojans, where he became the NCAA's all time leader in total tackles. He began his career as a walk-on and was selected as a freshman All-American in 2018. He was also a finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy in 2021 and 2022.
==Early years== Martial was born in 1999, the son of football coach Philbert Martial.<ref name=Bio/><ref name=MA20/> He began playing football at age three with his father's team, the Cottage Hill Steelers.<ref name=Toran>{{cite news|title=Award won't slow Martial's pursuits|newspaper=The Montgomery Advertiser|author=Andre Toran|date=June 24, 2020|pages=1B, 3B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/669504432/?terms=martial%20%22carlton%20martial%22&match=1&clipping_id=112114522|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> He played at the quarterback, cornerback, and running back positions as a youth player and also played basketball.<ref name=Toran/> He attended McGill–Toolen Catholic High School in Mobile, Alabama. He played football at the linebacker position in high school, helping the team to back-to-back state title games,<ref name=MA20/> tallying 197 tackles as a junior and 120 tackles as a senior.<ref name=Toran/> At five feet, nine inches, he was regarded as small and did not receive any NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) scholarship offers.<ref name=MA21/> He had offers from Alabama A&M, North Alabama, Jackson State, and Alcorn State, and preferred walk-on offers from Troy and Auburn.<ref name=Toran/>
==College career== ===Walk-on=== Martial enrolled at Troy University in 2017 as a preferred walk-on player.<ref name=Toran/><ref>{{cite news|title=How Troy linebacker Carlton Martial went from walk-on to Sun Belt Conference star|newspaper=The Montgomery Advertiser|author=Tim Buckley|date=August 6, 2021|url=https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/sports/college/troy-university/2021/08/06/carlton-martial-troy-university-sun-belt-conference-star-preseason-defensive-player-of-year/5434939001/}}</ref> He redshirted in 2017 and played at the middle linebacker position as a redshirt freshman in 2018.<ref name=Bio/>
===2018 season: Freshman All-America honors=== In August 2018, ''The Montgomery Advertiser'' credited Martial for "working his butt off," resulting in a "meteoric rise ... from walk-on chum in practice and in-game towel-waving sideline crazy man to playing a key role."<ref>{{cite news|title=Martial law: Ex-walk-on may start at LB for Troy|newspaper=The Montgomery Advertiser|author=A. Stacy Long|date=August 28, 2018|page=C2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/478405022/?terms=martial%20%22carlton%20martial%22&match=1&clipping_id=112111174|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> He tallied 76 tackles and helped the 2018 Troy Trojans to a 10–3 record and a victory in the Dollar General Bowl.<ref name=Bio/><ref>{{cite web |title=2018 Troy Trojans Football Schedule|url=https://www.troytrojans.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=138|publisher=Troy University|accessdate=April 27, 2018}}</ref> He was also selected as a freshman All-American by ''USA Today'' and the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).<ref name=Bio/><ref>{{cite news|title=Lawrence leads freshman All-American|newspaper=The South Bend Tribune|date=December 13, 2018|page=C3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/514719281/?terms=martial%20%22carlton%20martial%22&match=1&clipping_id=112111783|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
===2019 season=== As a redshirt sophomore in 2019, Martial led the team with 126 tackles.<ref name=Bio/> He was the first Troy player to tally over 100 tackles in eight years. Against Texas State on November 16, he had two one-handed interceptions, one of which he returned 64 yards for a touchdown with eight seconds remaining in the game.<ref>{{cite news|title=Already defensive star, might Troy's Martial try offense?|newspaper=The Montgomery Advertiser|author=A. Stacy Long|date=November 23, 2019|page=C6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/619567048/?terms=martial%20%22carlton%20martial%22&match=1&clipping_id=112112296|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
===2020 season=== As a redshirt junior in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Martial was selected as a first-team pre-season All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.<ref name=Toran/> He led the country with 113 tackles.<ref name=Bio/> He was the first Troy player since 2002 to register over 100 tackles in consecutive seasons.<ref name=MA20>{{cite news|title=Carlton Martial leads Troy defense in junior season|newspaper=The Montgomery Advertiser|author=Nick Alvarez|date=December 16, 2020|page=B4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/700411376/?terms=martial%20%22carlton%20martial%22&match=1&clipping_id=112113086|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> He also tallied a career-high 21 tackles, a sack and an interception against No. 11 Coastal Carolina.<ref name=MA20/>
===2021 season=== In 2021, Martial retained his junior status, as the 2020 season did not alter it.<ref name=Bio>{{cite web|title=Carlton Martial|publisher=Troy University|access-date=October 19, 2022|url=https://troytrojans.com/sports/football/roster/carlton-martial/9762}}</ref> He was selected in August 2021 as the Sun Belt Conference preseason Defensive Player of the Year.<ref>{{cite news|title=Troy's Martial proves his doubters wrong|newspaper=The Montgomery Advertiser|author=Tim Buckley|date=August 6, 2021|pages=1C, 2C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/754481877/?terms=martial%20%22carlton%20martial%22&match=1&clipping_id=112118560|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> In November 2021, he was also selected as a finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy awarded each year to the most outstanding player who began his career as a walk-on.<ref name=MA21>{{cite news|title=Troy football's Carlton Martial named finalist for Burlsworth Award|newspaper=The Montgomery Advertiser|author=Sutton Smith|date=November 19, 2021|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/782373140/?terms=martial%20%22carlton%20martial%22&match=1&clipping_id=112110454|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
===2022 season=== In January 2022, having another year of eligibility remaining due to the COVID year, Martial announced that he would return to try for a fifth season.<ref>{{cite news|title=Troy football's Burlsworth finalist Carlton Martial to return for another season|newspaper=Montgomery Advertiser|author=Maxwell Donaldson|date=January 4, 2022|url=https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/sports/2022/01/04/troy-football-linebacker-carlton-martial-return-2022-season/9098365002/}}</ref> He began the 2022 season needing 104 tackles to break the NCAA Division I FBS record for most tackles in a career.<ref>{{cite web|title=Carlton Martial|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/carlton-martial-1.html|accessdate=November 9, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=As Troy linebacker Carlton Martial approaches the tackles record in college football his legend shrinks|work=ESPN.com|date=November 9, 2022|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/34830463/as-troy-linebacker-carlton-martial-approaches-tackles-record-college-football-legend-shrinks}}</ref> On November 12, 2022, he had his 546th tackle to break the prior record of 545 tackles set by Tim McGarigle of Northwestern.<ref>{{cite news|title=Martial breaks tackles record; Troy rallies for victory|newspaper=Dothan Eagle|date=November 12, 2022|url=https://dothaneagle.com/sports/college/troy/martial-breaks-tackles-record-troy-rallies-for-victory/article_795a49dc-62f0-11ed-a8cd-df59599ff8c1.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Troy LB Carlton Martial sets NCAA record for career tackles|work=ESPN.com|date=November 12, 2022|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/35012136/troy-lb-carlton-martial-sets-ncaa-record-career-tackles}}</ref>
===College statistics=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! Season ! Games ! Solo tackles ! Assists ! Total tackles ! Tackles for loss |- |2018||12||33||43||76||9.0 |- |2019||12||70||57||127||18.5 |- |2020||11||54||60||114||10.0 |- |2021||12||44||82||126||10.0 |- |2022||12||55||80||135||3.5 |- |Total||59||256||322||578||51.0 |} <ref>{{cite web|title=Carlton Martial|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|accessdate=October 20, 2022|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/carlton-martial-1.html}}</ref>
==Professional career== ===Hamilton Tiger-Cats=== On May 14, 2023, Martial signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/transactions/ |title=Transactions – Football player trades and signings |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=June 3, 2023}}</ref> On June 3, 2023, Martial was released by the Tiger-Cats during final roster cuts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://3downnation.com/2023/06/03/tiger-cats-release-21-in-final-roster-cuts-including-receiver-papi-white/ |title=Tiger-Cats release 21 in final roster cuts, including receiver Papi White |publisher=3DownNation |access-date=June 3, 2023}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Martial, Carlton}} Category:1999 births Category:Living people Category:American football linebackers Category:Troy Trojans football players Category:Players of American football from Mobile, Alabama