The Washington Commanders' newest defensive back, Jartavius Martin, spoke with the media earlier tonight. Here are some of the highlights from his press conference.
On getting the call from Head Coach Ron Rivera:
"Man, that was awesome. It was a great opportunity, I'm just at a loss of words honestly."
On if he prefers to be called Jartavius or Quan:
"I prefer Quan."
On if he had any interaction with Washington prior to being called:
"Oh yeah, so I actually took a 30 visit there, so it was actually one of my favorite visits. So just to be able to get back to a place I really enjoyed is nice."
On what stood out about the 30 visit:
"I mean, just the energy around the building. Everyone was super involved. It's super interactive and man, that was just super genuine people had just reminded me of being at Illinois these past two years, so I knew that was definitely the place I would want to play at."
On his ability to be versatile:
"Just my understanding of the game, man. Just being able to play any position in the back end at any given moment in the game just shows like my understanding of the game and my football IQ."
On where his football IQ comes from:
"Football just always came natural to me man. Just being able to play, just understanding the game very well at a high level while also competing fast."
On whom was with him at his draft party:
"I got my whole family here, about 40 people in the house right now, so I'm like ducked off in the bathroom in the quietest place possible."
On what makes him so effective in the slot:
"Just my understanding, like route concepts, just the poise I play with there. I feel like it's one of the hardest positions to play in the back end. So just being able to just understand that position and go make plays and help supporting the run."
On where he thinks he took his biggest stride in his game while at Illinois:
"I would say this last year, understanding the game a whole lot more. I credit a lot of my success to coach [Bret Bielema], coach [Ryan] Walters and the whole coaching staff he put together allowing me to play fast, allowing me to be myself and just competing at a high level."
On why the Illinois secondary is so good:
"We just played together as a group man. We trusted each other, we believed in one another, and I feel like that's what you need when you are on the field with a bunch of group of guys. So just being able to compete at a high level and being on the same page."
On if he thinks he will be as versatile in the NFL as he was in college:
"Yes, sir. Um, like I said, just my understanding of the game and just my wants to man. Just being back there and understanding of the game while competing at a high level."
On having great testing at the NFL Combine:
"It was great, man. I always knew what I was capable of, so it was just my opportunity to go out and show the world and I feel like I did just that."
On if tackling is something he takes pride in:
"Oh yes ma'am. Just being able to get guys on the ground, you know, just being that last line of defense when you playing safety and not letting anything get behind you."
On how much of his versatility comes from reps versus film study:
"I would say both. It's definitely important to take field study seriously and Ill also credit that too, like my understanding of the game and just being able to play and get reps at every position. Just take reps, get reps and understand the game from different point of view."
On if he had a chance to watch CB Emmanuel Forbes in college:
"Yeah, I watched him a little bit, so I'm excited to be able to play with him. He's a great ball hawk, takes the ball away and get the defense in the end zone."
On if he was surprised to be chosen by Washington after already taking CB Emmanuel Forbes:
"I wouldn't say surprised, but you know, they seemed like they really wanted me when I was there, so they showed me and came and picked me today."
On if he will continue to give teammates haircuts:
"Oh yeah man, as much as I can."
