University of Western Ontario Mustang Vaughn Martin says “it feels good to be drafted” by the San Diego Chargers.
Vaughn Martin is chomping at the bit to make his mark in the NFL.
Martin was selected in the fourth round, 113 overall, of the 2009 National Football League draft. As he stood on the turf of TD Waterhouse Stadium, where he helped lead the Mustangs to the Vanier Cup and first caught the eye of recruiters, Martin says he was confident he would be drafted.
“I knew I was going to get it. I just didn’t know when,” he says during a press conference.
The 6’3″, 331-pound defensive lineman is the first Canadian collegiate player to be drafted as an underclassman to the NFL. When asked what he thinks about the reputation he has garnered by breaking this barrier as an underclassman, as well as being drafted ahead of any player from such notable U.S. programs as Michigan and Notre Dame, Martin says, “I’m just going to play football.”
“This is where I get the opportunity,” he says. “Hopefully I can help them reach a Super Bowl.”
Martin lauded the football club, its coaches, teammates, and the organization. He is excited to join the ranks of the Chargers‘ defense, which he describes as “full of stars.”
“I’m excited to go out there and play,” he says.
It was Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall who broke the news to Martin, who was on his way to the grocery store when the announcement was made.
“We are excited for Vaughn,” says Marshall, admitting the draft pick was bittersweet.
“We are losing a dominate player … We were hoping Vaughn would play four years and help us win a Vanier Cup.”
Martin’s success also demonstrates the strength of the Mustang football team, adds Marshall.
“We hope we recruit some of the best student athletes,” he says. “It’s about providing opportunities on and off the field.”
Martin’s mother, Doreen Francis, beamed with pride for her son and offered words of thanks to Marshall for his support.
“I’m extremely happy. What more can a mother ask for?” she says.
Like Marshall, she says she will miss the Mustang family, however she promised to keep cheering from the Western sidelines.
“As Vaughn said when he came to Western, ‘we are all family.’ As you look down the line, it’s all purple,” she says.