Every day before Martez Wilson gets dressed, he sees a prominently placed medical device on his bureau.
The small box with a tube was used to test his breathing as he lay in a hospital eight months ago after his lung was pierced and intestines sliced in a stabbing while trying to defend a former teammate.
Wilson, a Simeon High School graduate and junior linebacker at Illinois, can’t start his day without seeing it and remembering.
“I look at it every day and I thank God for giving me a second chance,” he said.
One of the most terrifying days of Wilson’s life has led to a terrific transformation, he said. He logs more hours in the film room and fewer hours at the local bars in hopes that focus translates to the field.
“I think this is Martez’s year,” coach Ron Zook said. “He understands he’s in a position now where he can be the guy.”
Illinois middle linebackers J Leman and Brit Miller led the Big Ten in tackles the previous two seasons. If Wilson thought expectations were hefty before, he’s being served a super-sized dose after a mixed-reviews sophomore season.
“I know that some of the fans don’t think they got the game play they deserved to see,” Wilson said. “They know I’m supposed to be a beast on the field. I know a lot of eyes are watching me, and I have to do well.”
Bouncing back
At a tepid August evening practice, Wilson had tucked his white No.2 jersey under his shoulder pads to expose rock-hard abs and an oval surgical scar stretching from the bottom of his rib cage to below the top of his uniform pants.
Had he left Fubar — a popular college bar less than a mile from Memorial Stadium — a few minutes earlier, he might not have that permanent reminder.
Wilson had stepped into a friend’s car around 2a.m. Dec.12 when he said he noticed a group of men fighting former teammate D’Angelo McCray and two of McCray’s friends from Eastern Illinois, where he had transferred.
McCray said he and Wilson intervened to help McCray’s friends.
Linebacker instincts kicked in, Wilson said, when he saw someone hit McCray with a bottle.
“I felt like if I didn’t do nothing, something bad could have happened, even death,” Wilson said.
Said McCray: “It was no spur-of-the-moment thing, him helping me out. He was a close friend and a real good guy.”
Wilson thought falling on gravel made him bleed. He looked at his stomach and saw what looked like chitlins oozing out. It was his intestines.
He didn’t realize his back was stabbed until he got to the hospital, where surgery was performed.
“The adrenaline was pumping,” he said.
Contemplating how serious his wounds were during four days at Carle Foundation Hospital, Wilson cried wondering why he hadn’t taken football seriously.
“In the hospital bed, I was thinking I’m going to stop taking this football life for granted and take this scholarship for what it’s really worth,” he said. “I have to bounce back from this.”
He did.
Doctors warned of a six-month recovery, but Wilson healed in time for spring practice.
Internal changes have been equally dramatic.
“I don’t even need to talk to him to know,” said his father, Michael Whitehead. “He’s totally different. I see it in his face.”
The next step
Wilson grins when asked about growing up with six stepsiblings at Stateway Gardens public housing, which has been demolished. His biological mother dropped him off with Whitehead when he was 7.
He didn’t see her again until junior high.
“It was a little tough,” Wilson said. “But I took it well. I don’t fault my mother for what happened. My father was a big reason why I am the man I am.”
Whitehead and Wilson’s stepmother, Kyica Burton, worked tirelessly to move the family to a better neighborhood. Wilson worked as hard on the field.
As an All-American at Simeon, he received about 25 scholarship offers. After Wilson chose Illinois over Notre Dame and Southern California, Illini fans expected instant stardom.
He started at outside linebacker last season. While he finished third on the team with 73 tackles, he admitted to feeling “lost” at times on the field and faced criticism.
“People said it doesn’t look like he’s hustling,” linebackers coach Dan Disch said. “It’s hard to tell the difference between a player not hustling and a guy who’s confused. It’s a process of learning our defense. He’s grown up as a person and a player. He’s done well for us, but he’s ready for that next step.”
At 6 feet 4 inches and 250 pounds, Wilson said playing in the middle suits his speed and instincts.
Going pro after this season “isn’t my No. 1 goal,” Wilson said, but if “I have the ability to go, I’m going to take it.”
Signs are there he’s ready for the next step at Illinois. Overtime in the film room. Fewer nights on the town. Efforts to earn a C-plus average. Attending church more. Working out on vacation.
Burton said she noticed Wilson praying before eating, something she hadn’t seen in years.
“He said, ‘Mom, it’s a totally different me now,'” Burton recalled. “He’s more focused. He’s serious now.”
There’s plenty to be grateful for, Wilson said.
“I’m kind of thankful the incident happened,” he said. “It changed my life completely. It made me see my life could have been taken away. Right before my eyes.”
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Illinois at a glance
Illinois will contend for a Big Ten title if … the Illini can keep their focus and fulfill all this talk of team unity. A lack of chemistry, coach Ron Zook has said, is a big part of what derailed the Illini last season.
The Illini’s indispensable players are … quarterback Juice Williams and wide receiver Arrelious Benn. On the field, they’re dynamic. Off the field, they’ve helped keep teammates on the straight and narrow.
In a word, the schedule can be described as … unusual. Two open weeks that push the season finale into December, Zook hopes, will keep momentum rolling if the Illini are invited to a bowl game. Illinois kicks off the Big Ten season at Ohio State, then hosts Penn State.
Last season’s defining moment was … a three-game skid at the end of the season that cost the Illini a bowl. With a 5-4 record after beating Iowa, Illinois was stunned by Western Michigan, then faltered against Ohio State and at Northwestern.
This season will be considered a success if … the Illini return to a bowl game. Last season ended with disappointment after Illinois played in the Rose Bowl in 2007.
Coach: Ron Zook, 18-30 in four seasons, 41-44 in seven seasons overall.
Coordinators: Mike Schultz,
offense; Curt Mallory, Dan Disch, defense.
Memorial Stadium, Champaign, FieldTurf %% DT OPPONENT SERIES
Sept. 5 vs. Missouri, 2:40 7-15
Sept. 12 vs. Illinois State, 6 2-0
Sept. 26 at Ohio State 30-61-4
Oct. 3 vs. Penn State 3-13
Oct. 10 vs. Michigan State 17-23-2
Oct. 17 at Indiana, 6 43-20-3
Oct. 24 at Purdue 41-37-6
Oct. 31 vs. Michigan, 2:30 22-66-2
Nov. 7 at Minnesota 27-32-3
Nov. 14 vs. Northwestern 52-45-5
Nov. 27 at Cincinnati 0-0
Dec. 5 vs. Fresno State, 11:30 a.m. 0-0 %% ———-
sryan@tribune.com
