By: Mike Still
Feature photo: Brady Welburn (42) celebrates after winning the 2018 MMJFL title.
East Side Eagles defensive back Nick Martens has a relatively simple guideline when it comes to his gridiron career.
“I just want to play football, wherever my friends are at.”
A product of the Transcona Nationals and later a member of the ANAVETS Bowl finalist Murdoch MacKay Clansmen in 2013, he thought his career was over after declining the junior football route.
Cue the Manitoba Major Junior Football League (MMJFL).
“I had a buddy playing majors for East Side and he told me to come out. Those were two of my funner years for sure. I think there were seven teams my first year with full rosters. We went 4-3-1 which is fine, I don’t care. I like competition. From then on I was hooked.”
Martens, who was 5’8″ in his senior year of high school, learned to use his size to his advantage, becoming an expert tackler and eventual champion on a 2015 Eagles squad that went undefeated.
Brady Welburn, a jack of all trades in the secondary, was also on that team.
A senior when Elmwood brought home their first-ever provincial title in 2013, he battled back from a broken patella sustained that year to capture a second league championship last season with Martens and Transcona — a move that the latter made in 2016 due to low numbers at East Side.
“Playing East Side, we had a lot of River East kids come, because a bunch of my friends went there,” Martens says. “Then when we went to Transcona, they all made the drive because they wanted to keep playing with their buddies.”
Welburn echoed Martens’ comments.
“At this age I’m not really here to get signed or anything. I’m just here to have fun with my friends and ball out. That [Nationals team] was with all my good friends that I’ve played against growing up and a bunch of the guys I played East Side with. That whole team is like an absolute family.”
Not to be outdone was the work of Nationals head coach Barry Berard, who was a massive influence on Martens, Welburn and company,
“We wouldn’t have won in Transcona if it wasn’t for our coaches Barry [Berard] and them. Barry did a phenomenal job running an offence. He was like a friend but we all gave him the respect he deserved.”
This season, the pair will return to East Side where their roots in the MMJFL began. And they’re bringing along the core that’s helped win back-to-back titles with the Nationals.
But there’s also going to be some fresh faces on the field looking to make an immediate impact. Arguably one of the hungriest newcomers is fellow defensive back Adam Gottfried, another high-level tackler with solid instincts.
A four-year veteran of the Winnipeg Rifles, his history in the sport can be traced back to his time with Transcona. He played all the way through midget, winning a provincial title in his final year in 2014 alongside heavily influential head coach Steve Hoel.
“He’s like a second dad,” Gottfried says of his former bench boss.
“He’s been my head coach for years when I was growing up. I can give him a lot of thanks for having a talk with me and keeping me involved with football.”
Unfortunately, Gottfried’s Rifles experience wasn’t all he was hoping for. Understanding that he couldn’t come into the major league as a 22-year-old once his junior eligibility ran out, he felt the time was right to play out his final two years in the MMJFL.
“Last year wasn’t ideal for me. I didn’t see as much field as I would’ve liked. I definitely have that sitting in the back of my mind. I have a little bit of aggression and a show people what I’m made of sort of mentality right now. I’m ready to get down there and can’t wait to get back on the field.”
Martens says that due to the talent in the secondary, the team may look at running packages with six defensive backs. That’s music to Gottfried’s ears.
“We’ve had a couple of practices and [Martens] has been my halfback and already some chemistry is coming between us.
It’s a good group of guys. And them keeping in your ear and seeing how much fun they have, it’s nice to have. And it’s nice to come to a good team. Back-to-back champs is always good too.”