Friday, November 16, 2012

Soul lands All-Arena kicker Martinez

PHILADELPHIA – The American Conference Champion Philadelphia Soul and the Arena Football League announce that kicker Carlos Martinez (5’8, 180, Buena Vista) will join the team’s roster for the 2013 season.  The former Beaver, who is entering his ninth AFL season, agreed to a one-year contract.

“Carlos is one of the best kickers in the AFL,” said Soul head coach Clint Dolezel.  “He does everything you ask for in a kicker – long on kickoffs, consistency on extra points and he isn’t afraid to tackle on special teams.  We are very pleased to have him onboard this season.”

Martinez has played for the Dallas Desperados (2004-06), Georgia Force (2007-08 and 2011-12) and the Orlando Predators (2010) during his eight seasons in the AFL.  He is coming off a season where he converted on 97-of-109 (88.9%) of his extra points and 13-of-23 (56.5%) of his field goals for the Force in 2012.  The standout kicker was named AFL Kicker of the Year and First-Team All-Arena after connecting on 113-of-125 (90.4%) of his extra points and 11-of-18 (61.1%) of his field goals with the Georgia Force in 2011.

For his career, Martinez converted 731-of-812 (90.2%) of his extra points and 69-of-133 (51.9%) of his field goals.  He also earned Second Team All-Arena honors in 2010 with Orlando and was named to the Al Lucas Hero Team in 2008 with Georgia.

Martinez played college football at Buena Vista University, and was a four-year letterman in football as a kicker.  He was a three-time All-America selection, a three-time All-IIAC honoree.  As a senior, he was also named the NCAA Division III Kicker of the Year and as a junior, he was named the team Special Teams Player of the Year.



He is the all-time field goal leader at Buena Vista with 48 and second all-time in Division III history.  Martinez also excelled as a punter in college, with an average exceeding 40 yards.  Martinez capped off his senior season at BVU in 2002 with a selection to play for the American Football Coaches Association Division III All-Star Team which represented the United States against the Mexican National Team in the 2001 Aztec Bowl.

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