Favorite Jay Martin Story
Dan O'Neill '87
Jefferson, CO
Jay introduced me at my Hall of Fame induction at OWU, and he basically retold a version of this story:
I'm not positive but I think I was the last student let into OWU in 1983. I certainly was the last lacrosse guy. My friend and former high school buddy, and eventual OWU lacrosse teammate Mike Haggerty '84 was doing what we all did to recruit back in the day. We all called lax guys from our high schools and asked if they were going to OWU. We also extended a few calls for personal reasons, so it was great. Phone calls weren't free back in the day.
Mike calls me. We were friends anyway, so he asked if I was going to OWU. I told him my mother wasn't able to get her tax info to the financial aid group, so I didn't have any aid. I would have to go to U. Mass and scrape by. Mike hands the phone to Jay and says "You should talk to this kid."
Jay takes the phone and covers the receiver so I can't hear. Jay basically says to Hags, "Oh great, another genius I need to try and get into OWU."
Mike says, "No Jay, he's already been accepted."
Jay: "Is he any good?"
Mike: "He's a high school All American goalie."
Jay: "What? What am I missing?"
Mike: "The dude doesn't have a pot to piss in, he needs aid."
Jay then asks me if I had my mother's tax info now. I said yes.
Jay: "Can you FedEx it to me at the school?"
It's 1983 and I'm a Highschool student, so I say,
"What the hell is FedEx?!"
Jay: "Never mind, I'll send you an envelope. Put the docs in it and send it back."
Jay got it all done. He helped me get the aid I needed and the decision was made. Next thing I know, I'm on a one way flight from Boston to Columbus on People's Express Airlines. I never visited the school and really didn't know where it was. The rest is history for me. I enjoyed a fantastic life and lacrosse career at OWU.