Ayden Martin ready to step out of the shadows at Gov. Mifflin (updated)

(This story has been updated with Martin’s decision to attend Monmouth University.)

Like everyone else in a Gov. Mifflin football uniform last season Ayden Martin played in Nick Singleton’s enormous shadow.

Many didn’t notice Martin’s elite combination of power and speed — including some of the Mustangs’ opponents. When he would drift out into a pass pattern from his spot at tight end it was almost as if he was invisible. With most defenders focused on the Mustangs’ Penn State-bound tailback Martin would glide into an open space, snare the ball and waltz into the end zone.

He was a dangerous complement to one of the nation’s most lethal backs, averaging 31 yards on his three receptions and 8.5 yards on the occasional carry.

“He would’ve been a star of any other team,” said Mifflin coach Jeff Lang.

He’s about to be now. Martin is ready step out of the shadow and be the Mustangs’ featured back — as well as an enforcer on defense, where he’s as good if not better than he is when he’s got the football tucked under his arm.

“It’s very exciting,” Martin says of his upcoming senior season, “because I get to show who I am and what I can do, and show what I’m am capable of doing. (I can) just surprise people with what I’ve got.”

That’s about all you’re going to get from Ayden Martin. He’s as humble and soft-spoken as he is multi-talented. He puts his head down and quietly goes to work, in the classroom — where he’s got a 3.5 GPA — and in the weight room, where he has turned his body into a chiseled wrecking ball.

He is a complete package, one reason colleges are lining up for his services. Sunday he announced his decision to attend Monmouth, selecting it from a final four that included Duquesne, Lehigh and New Hampshire.

Most of those offers have come within the last six weeks. Martin hasn’t had a chance to take any official visits but he did his homework and was confident in his decision. He wanted to get it out of the way so he can get back to the grind.

“It’s been fun,” he said of the recruiting attention, which began last fall with an offer from Temple, “but it’s time to focus on the field now. I don’t (want to) have to worry about anything during the season so I can just go out and play.”

He’s a two-time all-league pick at safety, where he’s just as good in space, blanketing receivers and knocking away passes, as he is in the box, where he’s strong enough to stand ballcarriers straight up.

Despite his explosion and agility he generally found himself working in the trenches on offense last season, putting his lean but sturdy 5-11, 180-pound frame to work opening creases for Singleton. Nick got all the touchdowns and the accolades that came with them; Ayden got the satisfaction of knowing he was on the field helping make it happen.

He didn’t need to see his name in a headline or at the top of the stat sheet.

“I wasn’t really worried about it,” he said. “I just had to make plays and do what I could do, focus on the team.”

The team was good, of course, bolstered by Martin’s play on defense, offense and special teams. The Mustangs were unbeaten and ranked No. 1 in the state until a stunning district final loss to Exeter shattered a dream season.

Singleton was among nine all-league picks who walked across the stage in June but the Mustangs’ cupboard is far from bare. Senior Delsin McNeil is ready to emerge as one of the top quarterbacks in the Lancaster-Lebanon League and Martin is poised to show he’s one of the league’s most explosive two-way players.

“This is his opportunity,” Lang said. “He’s gonna have to be that star this year if we’re going to be successful.”

Lang and the Mifflin coaches didn’t know a whole lot about Martin when he showed up at practice as a freshman. It didn’t take him long to show he belonged. After early losses to Cedar Cliff and Wilson exposed holes in Mifflin’s secondary Martin was plugged in. He’s been there since.

He was a first-team all-league pick as a sophomore safety; a few months before his junior season he showed he was one of Berks’ top athletes, excelling at the Chris Nunn Memorial Berks Football Combine. He won the 40-yard dash, the vertical leap and the 3-hop drill, showing off a broad range of freakish athletic skills.

“He’s worked at it,” Lang said of Martin’s physical skills.

Martin has trained with former Syracuse standout Darryl Daniel, to improve his speed and flexibility, and with former Green Bay Packers defensive back Antonio Dennard, to work on defensive technique. He also trains at Garage Strength.

He runs the 100 in 11.0, has a 40-inch vertical and can dunk a basketball.

“Not only is he athletic, he’s an exceptionally strong kid for his size,” Lang said. “He’s doubled his weight in the bench (press), which is pretty crazy.”

The only thing Martin seems to be lacking in is ego.

He’ll most likely be utilized as a utility knife kind of safety in college, able defend the run and in the passing game. In the coming months his biggest cuts will come as Mifflin’s tailback, filling the role Singleton owned the past few years.

“He’s gonna be that kind of kid Nick was in the option game,” Lang predicted without hesitation. “I think he’s excited for it, to finally be the man and to really shine and show what he can do.”