<
>

Taylor Martinez to stay at Nebraska

Quarterback Taylor Martinez will remain at Nebraska, he said in an e-mail to ESPN.com.

"To dismiss any rumors on my thoughts of transferring I'd like to state that I am anxious to get back to Nebraska Sunday evening and look forward to getting healthy and getting my strength and speed back," Martinez said via his father, Casey Martinez, in an e-mail to ESPN.com. "I also look forward to using these past year's experiences and challenges to help me become a better all around person, football player and leader.

"I feel that with the players that we have coming back, along with the new talent that is coming into the Husker program that we will have great success for many years under coach [Bo] Pelini."

Martinez, a native of Corona, Calif., finished his redshirt freshman season with 1,631 passing yards and 965 rushing yards. He threw for 10 touchdowns and ran for 12 more.

Martinez became the first freshman in Nebraska history to start the season opener at quarterback, and started 12 of 14 games for the Huskers.

During a 9-6 loss to Texas A&M, Martinez returned a phone call to his father during a visit to the locker room while trainers looked at his right ankle. It was re-injured when Nebraska offensive lineman Mike Caputo inadvertently stepped on it when Martinez attempted to run.

"It was a two-minute conversation when he got a minute to return my call after I called several medical staff members," Casey Martinez wrote in a separate e-mail to ESPN.com. "He thought he was done for the game, and I thought he seriously broke his leg from the replay I saw and was going to be in street clothes."

Pelini was notified of the phone call on the sideline and screamed at Martinez inches from his face while jabbing a finger into his chest. Cameras caught the interaction, and on the day after the game, rumors that Martinez had quit the team ran wild.

He missed a training session Sunday after discussing the matter with his father, but had no intention of quitting the team.

Nebraska begins classes Jan. 10.

David Ubben is a college football reporter for ESPN.com.