Rich-Joseph Facun/THE POST Ohio University freshman Lamar Martin lifts weights at Peden Stadium as a part of his preparation for the upcoming OU football season. Martin said he can lift more from day to day depending on his mental attitude.

Editor's note: This is the fourth article in a five-part series about the transition into college life as seen through the eyes of four OU freshmen enrolled in a University College 110 class.

"Ring. Ring."

Freshman Lamar Martin groggily opens his eyes to the sound of the telephone on the far wall. A white stuffed teddy bear cuddles next to his muscular 6-foot-1-inch frame. The bear wears a gold necklace engraved with his girlfriend's name.

Martin jumps off his top bunk bed as the phone stops ringing. Outside, the new day is still as dark as night. But he does not go back to sleep.

The ring was his wake-up call, made by some friends down the hall. Four times a week, Martin's day starts at 5:40 a.m.

Walking out of Boyd Hall, Martin hits the bitter-cold air outside. His destination is The Convo for off-season football conditioning.

For the next hour, players run around cones. During one of his turns, Martin back-pedals into a cone, knocking it over.

"Take your time, Lamar," says Ray McCartney, Martin's position coach.

Martin merely looks over and nods. He has worked hard to get here.

Martin, 19, grew up on the gang-infested streets of Fort Wayne, Ind. While he has earned consistently high marks in school, he made it to Ohio University on a full scholarship because of his performance on the football field. Martin now juggles football and classwork, all the while still trying to figure out who he is and what he will become.

The football coaches have high hopes for Martin.

"Lamar has a lot of potential," coach Ethan Reeve said. "He is very athletic, and he is a hard worker."

Martin was an All-State defensive lineman for three years at Snider High School. He lost only five games in his high-school career. At OU he lost five this season.

"I'm not used to losing," he said. "Losing this year has made me want to make the team better next year."

The coaches plan to start Martin at linebacker or nose tackle for the rest of his college career, he said. Martin was red-shirted this year so he did not play and has four years of eligibility.

However, Martin was not always athletic, said his mother, Mary Martin.

"He used to trip over his own feet, so I signed him up for football," she said.

Ever since his first football practice at 8 years old, Martin was hooked. He was the MVP of the team and went on to earn many more awards through the years. But, his mother made sure that education was his top priority.

"I stressed education because I didn't have it," she said.

She dropped out of high school at 16 when she became pregnant with Lamar. In 1986, Mary Martin earned her general education degree and then finished two years of community college.

Lamar has earned high marks through most of his school career, but during his junior year of high school, he received a D in English. He thought his football skills would be enough to earn a college scholarship, he said.

His mother thought otherwise and threatened to take him off the football team, she said. Next term, he received straight A's. Martin was the only player on his team to be eligible for a scholarship because he had the necessary grade point average and Scholastic Achievement Test and American College Testing scores.

His first quarter at OU he earned three A's and a B, which he said he hopes to duplicate this quarter.

"If my mom can go back to school while working at a job and raising me and my brother and sister all by herself, then there is no reason why I can't do well when all I'm doing is playing football and going to class," he said.

While his mother openly discussed drinking, sex and gangs with Lamar, she knew he also needed a positive male role model to succeed in school and life, she said.

When Lamar was 9 years old, she enlisted him in the Big Brother/Big Sister program. Jonathan Ray became his big brother, and Martin now considers him more of a father.

Ray often gives Martin money when he needs it, and, in return, he asks Martin to help needy people when he can. Martin volunteers at a local Christmas food drive and is now thinking about majoring in social work. He also speaks at Snider High School about being at OU, an atmosphere very different from his hometown.

In high school, Martin's friend Andre Stephens was murdered when drug pushers shot up his house - just three doors down from Martin's house.

"I've always cherished my life, but when someone dies, it just makes you more thankful for what you have," he said.

Martin said he feels very fortunate for all the supportive people he has in his life, especially his girlfriend, Kim Humphreys, 17, whom he met during his junior year in high school.

"Lamar has a way of making people feel special whether he knows them or not," Humphreys said.

Martin said he was hesitant about dating her at first because she is Caucasian, something he was afraid wouldn't bode well with his friends, but he soon stopped worrying about their reaction.

Still, Martin was not sure if he wanted to commit to one girl, he said.

By mid-senior year, they started dating exclusively and have been together since. Martin said he is thankful that Humphreys waited for him to settle down.

"She saw something in me that I didn't even know existed," he said.

They are now in a new chapter of their relationship, with Humphreys still at home and Martin away at school.

"I think being away from each other has made our relationship stronger," he said. "We have been able to grow individually."

Next year will be easier because Humphreys will be attending OU, he said. The two of them hope to marry after college. While Martin dreams about making it to the NFL, he knows there is more to life after football.

See also, Monday's story: Freshman year full of new freedom, turbulence

and Tuesday's story: After one quarter, freshman taking freedom in stride

and Wednesday's story: Growing up becomes reality for New Jersey freshman