Ethan Martin brings football talents to Queen’s University

He’s only been on the job for a couple of weeks, but Queen’s football coach Steve Snyder continues to put his stamp on the program.

On Tuesday, Snyder announced the signing of Ethan Martin, one of the top high school players in the province.

“It’s a great signing for a number of reasons,” said Snyder. “Ethan is an outstanding student-athlete.”

“He’s really excited about becoming a doctor, which is an incredible journey to embark on here at Queen’s,” the coach continued. “He also has tremendous athletic talent. He is a three-time Player of the Year in London high school football — that is something that has never happened before. His signing is a major coup for the Queen’s football program.”

Martin had several options to weigh but, in the end, chose Queen’s because of its football tradition, academic standards and its coach, who is the former offensive co-ordinator at Western University.

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“Being from London, my family has known Steve for years,” said 18-year-old Martin.

“I had a lot of offers from other schools but I chose Queen’s because of Coach Snyder.”

Martin made his mark in high school as the quarterback for London South Collegiate. He finished his career with an incredible record of 39-1. He also played some defence and plans to be a free safety in the Gaels backfield.

“I really hit it off with Queen’s defensive coach Ryan Bechmanis,” added Martin.

“I hope to be a defensive back and play on special teams as well. I think I can bring a lot of athleticism to the field. I believe the team will get a lot more out of me as a defensive back instead of a quarterback. I have a strong work ethic and hate to lose. I have a winning mentality, which I plan to bring to Queen’s.”

The Gaels recently recruited Ryan Licandro, a talented quarterback from St. Peter’s High School in Ottawa.

The Tricolour opens its training camp in early August. There season opener will be Aug. 25 in Ottawa against the Carleton Ravens.

Last year, Queen’s finished with a record of 3-5 and missed the playoffs in the Ontario University Association, which led to the dismissal of head coach Pat Sheahan.