The Thursday Alamo Bowl went well for the Wildcats, the University of Arizona’s football team, as it managed to beat the Oklahoma Sooners in large part thanks to their steller defense lineup, which produced six turnovers. Among those players was Martell Irby, the senior defensive back who notched seven tackles during the game, had an interception, and forced a fumble.
During the postgame interview about his superb in-game performance, Irby spoke about his inspirational journey from living in his car to winning a bowl victory. During it, Irby made sure to give God the glory and thank Him for how far his fortune has reversed.
What made all the difference for Irby this year was a scholarship he received at the start of the 2023 season. It was a big deal for him because he had to retire from college football in the summer of 2022 and was living in a Kia,
Irby earned a scholarship ahead of the start of the 2023 season. The scholarship stood out because Irby decided to retire from college football in the summer of 2022, after injuries from a car wreck led to him having to walk away from the game, and it wasn’t too long ago that he was living in a Kia. But then he walked onto the Wildcats team for the 2023 season and soon was named team captain and received a scholarship.
ESPN reporter Cole Cubeli spoke to Irby about those travails during the post-game interview, saying, “Couple years ago, you were living in a Kia, working at a gym so you had a place to shower. You moved to Tuscon, didn’t have a scholarship, didn’t even have a spot; you bet on yourself. And here you are, double-digit win season, Alamo Bowl champions.”
Irby, for his part, gave the glory to God and spoke about how thankful he was for the opportunity, saying, “Glory be to God. I can’t thank Arizona enough. I can’t thank my brothers enough. I just want to enjoy this moment with my teammates, with my family and just embrace it, man.”
Continuing, he spoke about not worrying about tomorrow and instead living in the present and embracing it, being thankful the whole time, telling Cubeli, “I couldn’t have scripted this any better. (I’m) just gonna take it for what it is and embrace it. I worry about tomorrow, tomorrow, man. I’m just thankful. I couldn’t have pictured this.”
Then, speaking about being part of something bigger than himself and embracing the grind, day in and day out, to later get to celebrate a tremendous victory. He said, “Now, looking back, I see that I needed that more than ever. You know, just being part of the grind, being a part of something bigger than myself. I can’t thank these people enough. And I can’t wait for this confetti to fall, for us to just go crazy and enjoy the fruits of our labor.”
Watch him here:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video
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