Former Clovis West quarterback Adrian Martinez received the United Football League Most Valuable Player award for the 2024 season, the league announced on Monday.

The quarterback has stood out in the new pro league by leading the Birmingham Stallions to a 9-1 campaign. Martinez leads the league in rushing with 528 yards and three touchdowns on 54 carries. He completed 134-of-229 passes for 1,749 yards with 15 touchdowns and three interceptions during the regular season.

UFL Championship Game

The Stallions are playing the San Antonio Brahmas in the UFL Championship Game at 2 p.m. PT Sunday in St. Louis. It’s unclear if he’ll start since he was pulled in the third quarter for Matt Corral in Birmingham’s 31-18 victory over the Michigan Panthers in the USFL Conference Championship Game this past Saturday.

The game will air on FOX and FOX Sports on SiriusXM.

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High School and College Career

As a Golden Eagle, Martinez was The Fresno Bee football player of the year after he passed for 2,562 yards with 25 touchdowns and rushed for 1,462 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior. The former four-star prospect committed to the University of Nebraska.

He was a Cornhusker for four years (2018-2021). He had an electrifying freshman campaign that saw him break multiple school records: completion percentage (64.6), passing yards, total offense (3,246), passing touchdowns, and total touchdowns (25).

Despite some losing seasons he set the Nebraska career records for total offense (10,792), completions (670), 300-yard total offense games (19), 400-yard total offense games (five) and 250-yard passing games (16). He was the first player in Nebraska history with four 1,000-yard passing seasons, and the first Nebraska quarterback and only the fourth in Big Ten history with four 500-yard rushing seasons. Martinez was a team captain three times.

Transfers to Kansas State

He was given an additional year of eligibility due to the pandemic and transferred to Kansas State for the 2022 season. He was voted a captain and earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention accolades from the league’s coaches and received votes for the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year award as a Wildcat. Martinez had 1,261 passing yards, six passing touchdowns, and one interception to go with 111 carries for 627 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns despite fighting injuries during the second half of the season.

The team had a 10-4 record, beat No. 3 ranked TCU in the Big 12 Championship, and earned a spot in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Professional Career

He was signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent on May 12, 2023, but was waived in August. He signed with the Stallions in December 2023.

The UFL was created following the merger of the latest incarnations of the XFL and United States Football League. It consists of eight teams, all of whom were members of the XFL or USFL before the UFL’s creation. Former wrestler and actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his ex-wife and business partner, Dany Garcia, have part-ownership in the UFL.