Martez Hester

Photo by: Justin Casterline

Photo by: Kyle Crawford

Position:
Safety
Height:
6-2
Weight:
188
Class:
Freshman
Hometown:
Kennesaw, Ga.
Prev School:
North Cobb HS
High School:
North Cobb

Awards and Honors:
2016 Team Captain
2016 Ball State Mark Hays Inspiration Award

2016 (R-Sr.): Saw action in all 12 games with 10 starts at safety … ranked fourth on the team with 72 tackles … twice reached double-figure tackles including a season-high 13 stops in the win at Buffalo on Oct. 15 … tallied a second quarter interception on Sept. 17 against EKU which led to a Ball State touchdown … recovered a first quarter fumble against Eastern Michigan on Nov. 8 which led to another Cardinals touchdown … notched his only collegiate sack on an intentional grounding play at Indiana on Sept. 10.

2015 (R-Jr.): Only player on defense to start all 12 games … finished third on the team with 78 tackles from the safety position … notched at least five tackles in eight games … posted a game-high and personal season-high 13 stops against Central Michigan on Oct. 24 … also tallied double-digit tackles on Sept. 26 at Northwestern (11) … recovered a first quarter fumble at Western Michigan on Nov. 5.

2014 (R-So.): Played in eight games with five starts to earn second letter … career-high 15 tackles versus Northern Illinois … recovered first career fumble versus Northern Illinois after forcing fumbles at Central Michigan and versus Akron … first career pass break-up at Toledo … managed nine tackles versus Indiana State, seven versus Akron and six stops in two games.

2013 (R-Fr.): Started five games … earned first letter … made first collegiate start in the season opener versus Illinois State … tallied six tackles at North Texas … five tackles versus Illinois State … managed three tackles versus Army … season-high seven tackles at Eastern Michigan and versus Miami … recorded first career interception at Eastern Michigan and second at Miami.

2012 (Fr.): Took a redshirt season.

HIGH SCHOOL: Earned three letters in football for coach Shane Queen at North Cobb … helped the Warriors to a 6-5 record as a senior and a 12-10 mark in his career … helped team to a playoff appearance as a senior, the school's first in three years … team captain as a senior with fellow Cardinal Darius Conaway … all-county as a senior … selected to play in the Cobb County All-Star Senior Bowl … tallied 87 tackles and three interceptions as a senior … managed 40 catches and four touchdown catches as a senior receiver … also competed in track and field in the 400-meter dash … placed third in the state in the 400 meters as a junior … named the team's Rookie of the Year in track as a junior.

PERSONAL: Son of Mike and Kim Hester … one sister and one brother … sister, Nicole, played basketball at Drexel … born Aug. 10, 1994, in Silver Springs, Maryland … full name is Martez Donovan Hester.