Commanders Rookie DB Quan Martin Enjoys 'Energy' in Washington

The Washington Commanders reminded second-round pick Quan Martin of his time at Illinois.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 28, 2023

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are excited to bring Illinois defensive back Jartavius "Quan" Martin to the team with the No. 47 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

Martin took 10 visits during his pre-draft process, and the Commanders in particular stood out to him.

“Oh yeah, so I actually took a 30 visit there, so it was actually one of my favorite visits," Martin said. "So just to be able to get back to a place I really enjoyed is nice ... just the energy around the building. Everyone was super involved. It's super interactive andman, that was just super genuine people had just reminded me of being at Illinois these past two years, so I knew that was definitely the place I would want to play at.”

Martin played at Illinois for the past five seasons and grew into a leader during his time there. The defensive backs in Champaign became well-known during this year's draft process, specifically Devon Witherspoon, who was taken with the fifth overall pick by the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday.

“We just played together as a group man," Martin said of his Illinois secondary teammates. "We trusted each other, we believed in one another, and I feel like that's what you need when you are on the field with a bunch of group of guys. So just being able to compete at a high level and being on the same page.”

Martin says that the Commanders reminded him of his group in Illinois, and if they can keep the continuity, he should have a chance to succeed in Washington.

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Published Apr 28, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.