Football coaches know exactly what characteristics are vital for a great linebacker. They want a passionate, dedicated and consistent leader who makes everyone better while making the smart, big-time plays all over the field. They also want a coach on the gridiron.
Woodberry Forest coach Clinton Alexander has his next star 'backer who does it all, and he knew it from the first day he saw him.
It was four summers ago when Woodberry Forest was hosting a special event on campus, and Alexander got his first glimpse of Greer Martini, now a rising-junior and all-state linebacker.
“Greer came to one of our summer sports camps,” Alexander said. “It was a three-week, all-sports camp. He was good at everything. He was dominating. All the intangibles that those young kids don't start to think about at that age, he already had.”
The camp consisted of playing flag football, basketball, softball, floor hockey, soccer and lacrosse. Martini didn't hold back, going all out.
“He had his team as the No. 1 seed and No. 2 seed [in each sport],” Alexander said.
Martini wouldn't settle for less.
“I just always grew up playing sports competitively,” Martini said. “As a young kid, coaches always encouraged me to be a leader on the field.”
The kid shined at the camp, but he was not able to make the final week and tournament phase of the competition due to going to school year-round. Without Martini, it wasn't pretty.
“They just got crushed,” Alexander said. “That is when I [thought], ‘wow.’ I told my wife that if he came here, he would be the best inside linebacker we've ever had.”
He is well on his way, turning into an all-state player for the Tigers. Martini lead Woodberry Forest to an 8-2 record last season, alongside four-star linebacker and Stanford commit Doug Randolph.
“He is really young, so he has a lot of upside,” Alexander said. “He is 6-3, 225 pounds, but he doesn't have any facial hair yet. He is going to be running well and moving well at 240 pounds. He has great flexibility and a lot of range.”
Martini played Will Linebacker this past season, where his competitive nature led him to a stunning season. He recorded five fumble recoveries (two for touchdowns), three interceptions and 74 tackles with six for loss.
“That is hard to do for an outside linebacker,” Alexander said of his player's impact plays. “He is very intelligent the way he diagnoses plays.”
Colleges have noticed.
With a 4.0 GPA, the North Carolina native had several scholarship offers, including Notre Dame, Maryland and N.C. State. He committed to the Fighting Irish in early July to conclude the recruiting process early.
C.J. Prosise, a three-star recruit and ex-Woodberry player who plays at Notre Dame, helped in the recruiting process. Two visits to the school also didn't hurt.
“It was the perfect fit for me,” Martini said. “The combination of football history, a great football program and academics was great for me. I fell in love when I went to Notre Dame. I couldn't be happier with my decision.
“I think C.J. had a big part in it. Playing with him for two years, he was such a vocal leader and great player. He had an all-around game. He was always talking about how great Notre Dame was. He had a great impact on me as a player.”
Martini, who lives near Raleigh, admits that it was tough to say no to the Wolfpack.
“It was hard, because N.C. State is five minutes away from my house,” he said. “Mom wanted me to stay close. That was hard. I felt that Notre Dame was the better fit for me.
Alexander wants him to get even better before making it to the next level.
“I want to see him be more powerful at the point of impact, more negative plays in terms of tackles behind the line of scrimmage, no more forward progress,” Alexander said. “I think that is more strength and speed, weight and power and becoming a true sideline-to-sideline linebacker. He is already doing all the right things. He is constantly working.
“The other part, now going from a linebacker to more of an [on-the-field] coach, is teaching him to see everything. It's my job to help him understand the whole picture.”
Alexander has no doubt that Martini, who does not have an offer from Virginia, will only improve and get bigger, stronger and faster.
“100 percent,” he said. “He has done everything he has ever been asked to do and does so much you don't ask him to do.”
Martini, who earned one of the 14 all-state honors that linebackers have received under Alexander in his eight-season tenure, hopes to build on his stellar sophomore season. The Tigers open on September 7th when they host Benedictine.
“I've got to improve every single day in practice,” Martini said. “I've just got to get better, stronger, faster, all those types of things. The main thing I'm going to try and do is help everyone around me.”
Alexander praised Martini's ability to relay messages to teammates, organize the squad and make sure the defensive game-plan is executed. It's safe to say that the coach wouldn't want any other prep 'backer in the nation leading his defense.
“Our style of defense, we want to let our linebackers make plays,” Alexander said. “He is probably the best pass defending linebacker we have ever had.”
As for his leadership and being essentially an on-field coach?
“He is sharp,” Alexander said. “He is going to be running the defense for me for the next two years. I feel like I have a genius upfront.”
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