Nikai Martinez: “To be a Spartan is a Lonely Route”

As the season draws closer for Michigan State football, with summer practice under a week away, the leaders for Spartan football have their goals in mind. Each one of the 105 players on the roster have individual goals that they will try to accomplish, while also representing the green and white.

During Big Ten Media Days in Chicago, Spartan Shadows asked the three team leaders, Alessio Milivojevic, Nikai Martinez, and Jordan Hall, “what does it mean to be a Spartan?”

Background on Nikai Martinez

Nikai Martinez enters his third season with Michigan State football, which would not have been his ideal goal when he entered the Spartans before his junior season in 2024. Martinez entered as a true junior, with the aim of finishing out his two seasons before taking his talents to the 2026 NFL Draft.

After a strong start to 2024, he was on the way. An interception off of (now-backup Michigan State quarterback) Cam Fancher in the season opener brought optimism and energy in a game that was not a comfortable victory.

However, Martinez suffered an injury prior to camp in 2025, and did not see the field until a few weeks in to the 2025 season. Then, it was a struggle to stay healthy, as the former UCF safety was only healthy enough to suit up for four games last season as the Spartans missed one of their voices in the secondary.

A Lonely Route

Now, however, Martinez is back, healthy, and standing out as a leader. Pat Fitzgerald talked about the safety at Media Days, admitting that the defensive back has been a welcome surprise in the leadership department, and was an easy decision to bring to media days.

Entering his third season as a Spartan, Martinez enters this year with a good grasp on what it means.

“To be a Spartan, it’s a big thing to hold up,” Martinez expressed. “It’s something to be proud of. It’s a lonely, lonely route. You got to be an underdog and just be able to embrace it. You got to have a lot of hard work. Just work hard and things will come through.”

For Martinez, the hard work will come through this fall, as he gets one last fall to lead the team out of the tunnel. While Jordan Hall may be a “shoe-in” for the jersey No. 1 or the sticker representing it, Nikai Martinez could turn heads and earn his old jersey back now. He expressed the No. 21 (his new number) was recapturing the old feeling, but he is a player to watch.

It’s a lonely route to be a Spartan, and the number one indeed stands alone. Next week, the Michigan State football staff will unveil who is “The Spartan.”