Jan. 12, 2007
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State senior linebacker Joe Martin (Palmdale, Calif.) has been selected to play in the 2007 Cornerstone Bancard Hula Bowl Sunday at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. Martin, who was named the Aztecs' MVP this past season, is a member of the Kai team that will face off against the Aina squad at 3:35 p.m. HST live on ESPN.
A former walk-on, Martin ended his SDSU career with 214 tackles and logged seven games with 10 or more stops, including four in 2006. The Aztecs' starting middle linebacker was a second team all-conference honoree as a senior when he led the team in tackles with a career-best 109, ranking second in the Mountain West Conference and 23rd nationally. The co-captain was named league defensive player of the week twice in 2006.
Martin's selection marks the second straight year in which an Aztec has participated in the Hula Bowl. A year ago, safety Marcus Demps, currently with the Detroit Lions, played in the game. In 2004, offensive lineman Brendan Darby made an appearance, while in 2003, defensive back Ricky Sharpe joined wideout Kassim Osgood, who was named the Hula Bowl MVP before starring for the San Diego Chargers.