Favorite Jay Martin Story
Trey Olsen '18
San Francisco, CA
My favorite Jay memory is not one of his multitude of lessons on the field or in the locker room, but rather of his moments of compassion off the field. My senior year of high school (while still an uncommitted recruit), my Grandpa Ken drove me down to Delaware from Chicago to catch a Friday night game versus Christopher Newport. When we arrived in the evening, my grandpa was planning to remain in his car in the parking lot while I watched the game from the sideline of Roy Rike. My grandpa had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis more than 30 years earlier and had limited mobility, making great lengths of walking and stair climbing very challenging.
After meeting me and my grandpa and then hearing his plan to wait alone in the parking lot, Jay wouldn't have it. He grabbed his keys and personally opened the field gate and insisted Ken drive the length of Roy Rike to the far endline so he could watch the entire match (and overtime win) from his car.
This wasn't a one-time experience, either, as four years later, before the final home game of my senior year, my grandpa was back in Delaware. And even at 20 minutes before game time with so much else to get ready for, Jay made it a priority to prepare a front row seat (again in the endzone from the comfort of the car) for my grandpa. Besides even just remembering my grandpa from four years prior, Jay's simple act of kindness to ensure my grandpa could enjoy OWU games from his car speaks volumes to his character. My Grandpa Ken has since passed on, and these memories remain some of my fondest as I think back on two of the most deeply influential people in my life sharing a moment of compassion and empathy.