A House Divided: Big Ten Rivalry Heating Up For Martin Family
Editor's Note: This story originally ran on Oct. 28
Michigan linebacker commit Tyler Martin lives in Acton, Massachusetts, a small suburb about 20 miles west of Boston with a population of 21,000.
If you ask, ‘who’s the best athlete in town?’ well, you might not get the answer you’re expecting. Second best, sure. The very best — that’s up for debate.
That’s because the Martin household is home to another top-level athlete. Martin’s younger sister, Molly, is a women’s soccer phenom and, like Tyler, is a top recruit nationally.
Saying Tyler and Molly have a sibling rivalry would be an understatement.
“They compete like cats and dogs,” said Molly and Tyler's father, Mark. “We’ll play card games in the house, pitch, pickup basketball or anything we’re doing, they compete, compete, compete. That’s what you’ll get from all of us Martins.”
Molly has been committed to Penn State for just a little over two years. Tyler, a Rivals250 linebacker in the Class of 2022, is fresh off a verbal pledge to Michigan.
Wait, hold up…
Yes, Molly and Tyler are committed to two rival programs in the Big Ten. And yes, the two did talk about going to the same school when they were younger. It just didn't work out that way.
Naomi, Molly and Tyler’s mother, recalls a recruiting visit to Happy Valley where she thought Tyler would also fall in love with Penn State. Molly committed at such a young age, and Naomi admitted that she preferred to have them together at the next level.
Except Tyler wasn’t impressed.
“There was one trip where Molly, Tyler and I went to Penn State, and I was like ‘this is it, I’m going to talk them into being at Penn State, so we can have everything here,’” Naomi said. “Molly said it was incredible. Tyler said it was fine. Coach Franklin talked to Tyler, and she asked ‘oh my god, don’t you want to play for him?’ Tyler said ‘maybe.’ I came home with peace because I knew it wasn’t the right place for both of them.
“His heart was in Ann Arbor. Her heart was set with State College. Being at different places was what was going to make them happy and bring out the best in them and lead them to who they are going to become. That was the most useful recruiting trip of this entire process.”
Molly is 17 months younger than Tyler, but she sided with Penn State just two days before her 14th birthday back in August of 2018. While she doesn’t get the publicity that Tyler does, Molly is a premier holding midfielder prospect.
After impressing at the club level, Molly attracted interest from several major programs, but Penn State just felt right.
“There was just something about timing and how I felt,” Molly said. “I knew it was the place. I think a lot of people say ‘when you know you know.’ I stepped on campus and said, 'this is the place. I’m not leaving. This is where I want to be.' Tyler said it well in his interviews. The coaches are people you want to talk to. It’s in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania, so you have to be a certain type of person. But it was just the feel.”
Tyler visited Penn State and camped there, too. But that same feeling wasn’t there for him.
Like Molly, Tyler has been a household name on the recruiting trail for a while now. In fact, Michigan offered Tyler when he was just an eight grader. From that moment, the Wolverines became major players in his recruitment.
After a couple of trips to Ann Arbor, Tyler knew Michigan would be his future home.
“Early on, (Molly) committed to Penn State, and I always dreamed of playing Big Ten or ACC football,” Tyler said. “That’s what I grew up watching. When she committed, we started talking about it. But after time went on, we faded off from wanting to go to the same school and instead wanting to compete at different schools. It just so happened I picked a bitter rival. It’ll lead to some more fights around the house, but I’m excited (laughs).
“Michigan offers me everything that I’m looking for academically and athletically. With the guys on the team, I think I’m going to come in and fit in right away. I know some of the guys there, and the athletes don’t get special treatment. You have to stay on top of things academically, athletically and socially. That’s something that sold it for me. It’s a fit every single way."
With two top players in two different sports, the Martins are always on the go. Naomi plays the soccer mom role and travels everywhere with Molly during club season, while Mark plays the football dad role and takes Tyler to camps and college visits.
Michigan had no problem winning over Tyler or Mark. With New England legend and defensive coordinator Don Brown leading the way, Mark always had a soft spot for the Wolverines. But it was the family pitch from both Brown and head coach Jim Harbaugh that made the difference.
“The first time we went to Michigan, we got an hour and a half with Coach Harbaugh in his office,” Mark said. “He asked about my job, the family, where we lived, what we valued and what we did in our free time. He really took the time to learn about us. Before we left, he said Tyler had a fully committable offer. From that point on, he stressed that to us. I can say the same thing about Coach Brown. We talk once or twice a month, and he’ll ask how the family is doing. It isn’t all football. That’s very important.”
Naomi, on the other hand, needed more convincing.
While she had an opportunity to go to a couple of Michigan games with Tyler last season, she never really got a true in-depth look at the program. It was always Mark that went in the offseason for extended visits.
“The hardest part of this journey is that we’ve been at a lot of places at different times,” Naomi said. “A lot of things that have happened for Tyler have been over FaceTime or through text and vice versa for Mark and Molly. There have been a couple of times over the last couple of years that I’ve told Coach Brown that I needed to come to Ann Arbor because I’m the mom and know what he needs. The pandemic changed things. Every call was ‘hi coach, my mom has questions for you.’ I definitely asked a bunch of questions. At one point, I asked about contract extensions, and they just answered honestly and from their hearts.
“In the last phone call that we had, Coach Harbaugh said ‘I can’t be your dad, but I can be your coach. If you come on my doorstep, I promise I will have you leave here better than you arrived.’ As a mom, that was the trust I was looking for. It takes a lot of trust to have you son leave home and be raised by other people (Naomi starts crying). The Michigan staff is going to do that for us, and I couldn’t trust them more. Their word is enough for me.”
Once Naomi got onboard, Tyler immediately gave Michigan the green light. After more than a month of being a silent commit, Tyler announced his decision live with The Wolverine in front of his family and a small group of friends, including Rivals100 Michigan tight end pledge Louis Hansen.
Everyone in attendance wore Michigan gear — even Molly. When it was over, though, she took off an oversized M hoodie and joyfully threw on a Penn State shirt.
“I’m really proud of him,” Molly said. “I’ve always looked up to him. We’ve been so close. I’ve always been kind of the baby, especially with how big he is. We’ve competed our whole life, whether it’s racing or playing corn hole. I think it fits that he’s going to Michigan because Michigan and Penn State are similar.
“We grew up sharing so many similarities. We’ve always had each other’s backs. I’m so excited for him. I’ll cheer for him but not all the time (laughs).”
And Tyler is A-OK with that.
“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Tyler said. “Having a sister this close in age and just as completive as me has pushed me to be the best version of myself. Molly has helped me in ways that most people can’t even imagine.”
While Molly and Tyler have always competed, they’ve also supported each other through everything.
When Tyler won a league title two years ago, Molly was the first on the field to congratulate him despite having suffered a loss in her own championship game. A year later, Tyler rushed the field in celebration of Molly’s championship win after a rough football season.
There was also the time an opposing student section chanted ‘Molly’ throughout one of Tyler’s football games. Tyler approached the hecklers after the game and threatened them with some physical punishment.
The sibling rivalry can intensify at times, but at the end of the day, Molly and Tyler have each other’s backs.
“They didn’t get here by themselves,” Naomi said. “They got here together. When there is somebody under your roof making the same sacrifices, I think it’s easier to do. They play different sports, and the recruiting process is so different. But to have someone that’s going through something similar, makes it easier and more advantageable.”
Still, Molly and Tyler wanted to carve their own paths.
Tyler is a Michigan Man through and through. Molly loves the environment and small-town vibe at Penn State. And no, neither is going to try to flip one away from the other.
“As much as they’re the same, they are very different,” Mark said. “They respected each other’s process. I give Molly a lot of credit. There isn’t a lot of fame and fortune with women’s soccer. Tyler has obviously been on the recruiting trail for years and has been in the limelight. Molly kind of thrives from that and appreciates it from afar. They really complement each other well.”
Naomi probably put it best.
“We ended up with two kids committed to bitter rivals, and yet, it couldn’t be more perfect because they’re right where they’re supposed to be.”
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