Tennessee Vols cornerback Justin Martin has confidence covered

Tennessee’s Justin Martin makes time to visit with the Vols’ offensive coaches and pick their brains regarding strategy.

The senior cornerback doesn’t yearn to be a wide receiver. Nor is he prone to losing his way to the secondary’s meeting room.

The detours have been part of a quest to find himself and realize his potential.

“I started taking things day by day, trying to get better every day,” Martin said during UT’s media day earlier this month. “I started trying to be with my coaches more. I started trying to learn more about my technique, learn what my faults were."

The initial payoff was a solid performance during spring practice. He’s continued the effort in preseason practice and is in line for a starting spot for Tennessee’s season opener against Georgia Tech Sept. 4 in Atlanta.

“My confidence is going through the roof right now,” he said.

Secondary a primary concern 

The timing couldn’t be better for Tennessee. Its secondary was victimized by both injury and blown assignments last season. The Vols started 11 different player combinations in the secondary and ranked 72nd in the country, allowing 230.7 yards per game. They still managed to rank No. 32 in overall pass efficiency defense.

Martin started two games last season and played in 11. He was suspended for UT’s game at Georgia on Oct. 1 for a violation of team rules. He had 19 total tackles and one pass defended.

For two seasons, Martin has 42 total tackles and seven passes defended. The totals don’t befit his profile as 247 Sports’ top-ranked cornerback and No. 7 ranked junior college prospect overall after his freshman season at Northeast Oklahoma A&M in 2014.

Martin, who played at Overton High in Nashville, conceded during the spring that he had a lot to prove to his teammates and himself. One of those teammates, senior safety Todd Kelly Jr., expanded on that notion earlier in preseason camp.

“He has a lot to prove to not only us and the team but everybody else,” Kelly said. “We know what he can do. He knows what he can do. It’s a matter of him doing it.”

Warren and small details

Martin has been aided by a change in position coaches. Willie Martinez was fired last January and replaced by Charlton Warren. The initial payoff was a clean slate for Martin. The more lasting benefit has been Warren’s attention to detail and precision, which reflects his military background.

Warren’s coaching philosophy has helped Martin reorient his thinking.

“I think he’s focusing on the small details,” Kelly said. “When he first got here he was trying to see big picture.”

Another key development involves self-restraint. He told the media on Tuesday that a good example of personal growth has been "not saying everything I was thinking" during practice. 

Martin's preseason practice time has been better spent serving as a guide for Tennessee’s younger defensive backs. Along with his confidence, Martin’s football knowledge has taken a big leap. Those detours have helped him plot a better course for others as well as himself

“You know what you’re doing,” he said, “You kind of know what the offense is trying to do to beat what you’re doing.

“I know a lot more about defense than I did. I feel a lot better.”