63-Year-Old Tries Out for Rattlesnakes Team
By
KGNS News
Story Created:
Feb 16, 2013 at 11:13 PM CDT
Story Updated:
Feb 16, 2013
About twenty people arrived on the Rattlesnakes field Saturday afternoon, hoping to have their name be the next one listed on the Rattlesnakes roster.
But nothing stood out like the man wearing number 205.
His name is Roberto Martinez, and he’s 63 years old.
The local man said he wants to live life to the fullest and take advantage of every opportunity he has left.
"I started working out three years ago and I asked myself, what do I have to show for myself? And I said, you know what? I'm going to take advantage of this work-out. That's what I'm doing now."
On Tuesday, Martinez will turn 64. This try-out was a birthday present to himself.
"I believe that if you really love a sport, whatever sport it is, that it stays with you. I'm so glad that I'm doing what I'm doing because I don't know if I'll have the oppurtunity to do it again."
A former Tiger, Martinez was a lineman back in the 1960's at Martin high school.
He went through many of the drills Saturday before injuring his hamstring. He said it wasn't because of his age and feels he can keep up with many of the guys who are younger than his own children.
"I'm on the injured reserve list already. I really could have been keeping up these guys. They don't have anything different than I have. Matter of fact, I think I could possible surpass a couple of these guys. No names, I'm not going to mention any names."
Martinez has two children and two grandchildren who couldn't believe he was trying out for the team.
Rattlesnakes season is not too far away, training camp will start at the beginning of March.
