Taylor Todd Martinez (born September 15, 1990) is an American former college football quarterback. He played for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Cornhuskers from 2009 to 2013 and briefly signed with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) as an undrafted free agent in 2014.
Early life and high school
Martinez was born in Corona, California. He attended Centennial High School in Corona, where he excelled as a quarterback, passing for over 3,000 yards with 28 touchdowns and rushing for 750 yards with 12 touchdowns in his senior season. His performance helped Centennial achieve an undefeated 15–0 record and a California Interscholastic Federation state championship. He earned the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year award in 2010 and was a first‑team All‑Big Ten selection in 2012.
College career
After graduating high school, Martinez committed to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln on August 22, 2008. He redshirted his first year (2009) and became the Cornhuskers’ starting quarterback during the 2010 season after a three‑way competition. Over his collegiate career, Martinez amassed more than 10,000 total offensive yards, including 7,258 passing yards (56 touchdowns, 29 interceptions) and 2,975 rushing yards (31 touchdowns). He was recognized as a semi‑finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award in 2010 and earned first‑team All‑Big Ten honors in 2012.
Professional career
Following the 2014 NFL Draft, Martinez signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent. His contract was voided before the start of the regular season after he failed a physical examination due to a prior foot injury, and he did not appear in any regular‑season NFL games.
Later recognition
In 2023, Martinez was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame, acknowledging his record‑setting tenure with the Cornhuskers.
Personal life
Details about Martinez’s post‑football career and personal life are limited in publicly available reliable sources.
All information is drawn from verifiable public records and reputable encyclopedic sources.