Carlton Martial, Jakorian Bennett continue McGill-Toolen’s Senior Bowl tradition
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On Saturday, Carlton Martial and Jakorian Bennett will join a small but decorated fraternity of McGill-Toolen Catholic School graduates who also played in the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
Martial, the former Troy linebacker, and Bennett, the ex-Maryland defensive back, were on-hand at their high school alma mater Friday morning for an assembly celebrating their accomplishments in the college game. Also in attendance were several special guests, including McGill/Senior Bowl alums William Carroll (who starred at Florida A&M and is now a Mobile city councilman), Ito Smith (who played at Southern Miss and with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons) and Jaylen Tolbert (who had a record-setting career at South Alabama and is now with the Dallas Cowboys).
“It really means a lot,” Martial said. “A lot has changed, but a lot of things still seem the same. These are people that molded me, made me into the man I am today. I’m just glad to be here and see them again.”
Said Bennett, “Today means a lot, to come back where everything kind of began, where my journey started. It was a lot of hard work, a lot of ups and downs, but it’s good to be back. I really appreciate this place.”
Martial and Bennett are among at least 10 members of the 2015-17 McGill-Toolen teams that have played scholarship football on the four-year level. Tolbert, running back Bryan Hill, offensive lineman Trey Simpson and safety Tré Young all played at South Alabama, while wide receiver Marlon Williams starred at Central Florida and cornerback Eric Garror recently completed his career at Louisiana.
Wide receiver Larry Rembert played on the Division II level at West Florida, while defensive tackle LeDarrius Cox signed with Ole Miss and is now at Indiana. Back-up quarterback Sheldon Layman signed with Memphis and is now at Austin Peay.
An 11th former Yellow Jacket, starting quarterback Bubba Thompson, had several Division I football offers, but chose baseball instead. He recently completed his rookie year as an outfielder with the Texas Rangers.
“My wife told me ‘maybe you weren’t that good a coach, you just had some really good players,’” Ross said. “And she’s absolutely right. It’s been special and just fun to watch what they’ve done. You didn’t appreciate how good they were. You knew they were great players, but at that time, some of them were hardly getting recruited. But what they’ve accomplished since then justifies what you knew at the time.
“They all had heart. That’s what made those guys special. They were great players, but also good people. … They’re all guys I’d want to hang out with my kids. That’s rare to have that many in one group. They all fed off each other’s success. And that’s why in three years, they played for three state championships.”
Martial recently completed one of the most-storied college football careers in state history. Undersized at 5-foot-7 and a little over 200 pounds, Martial walked on at Troy and became a three-time all-Sun Belt Conference performer and became the all-time leading tackler in FBS history with 577 stops.
Martial came into Senior Bowl week looking to prove he deserved a shot at the NFL level, but missed Wednesday and Thursday’s practices while suffering back spasms. Still, he said, the overall experience has been a positive one.
“It happens sometimes,” said Martial, who said he still hopes to play in Saturday’s game despite his injury. “God already has the plan written down, you’re just out here living it. You just try to fight through adversity and do it with a smile.
“Still being a student of the game, being able to learn in an NFL setting — you’re not out there getting the reps, but you’re getting the mental reps. Just being around those guys, getting to know them, that’s what it’s all about.”
Ross, who spent the last two seasons on the football staff at Troy in addition to coaching Martial in high school, called him simply “the best football player I’ve ever been around.”
“Whether he gets drafted or signed (as a free agent), somebody’s going to take a shot on him,” Ross said. “It will be up to him to go prove it, but my bet is, he’s going to have a long career. He wants people to say he can’t do something.
“But I’ve been doing this a long time, and he’s the most instinctive football player I’ve ever seen. He’s not going to be a great (NFL Scouting) Combine guy, he’s not going to test great. But when you put the pads on and the ball is snapped, find me a better football player.”
Like Martial, Bennett was initially underestimated due to his size. He was 5-foot-3 and 125 pounds as a high school sophomore, but grew to 5-11 and close to 200 pounds by his senior year and became one of the Yellow Jackets’ top players.
Without any serious Division I football offers, Bennett went to Hutchinson (Kan.) Junior College and two years later transferred to Maryland. In three seasons with the Terrapins, he totaled 69 tackles, 24 pass breakups and five interceptions, twice earning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors.
“His story is just as good as Carlton’s, it’s just not as known,” Ross said. “From where he was as a freshman and sophomore to where he is now, he’s a guy who just kept getting better and better and better. When you talk to the guys at Hutchinson Community College, they say ‘he’s the hardest-working guy on our team.’ And he just kept working. He was a good player, but worked himself to become a great player. The guys at Maryland say the same thing.”
Bennett and Martial will be teammates Saturday on the Senior Bowl’s National team, which also includes former Troy center Jake Andrews and two other former Alabama high school standouts: Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham (Montgomery) and Appalachian State running back Camerun Peoples (Lineville). The American team includes six players from Alabama and two each from Auburn and South Alabama.
Bennett said returning home to participate in a high-profile event like the Senior Bowl has made for a memorable week.
“I competed well, showed my hard work, showed my versatility,” Bennett said. “I just wanted to clean up things for the scouts, show that I could do some of the things they said I would probably struggle with. Hopefully, I’ve improved the way they view me. … I definitely think I had a solid week.”
The 2023 Reese Senior Bowl kicks off at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium, with television coverage via NFL Network. For ticket information, visit SeniorBowl.com/tickets.
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