[Tuck4Bama]

Injuries, and "being a little over my head athletically," had ended Doug Martin's playing career at Kentucky prematurely. So Jerry Claiborne, the head coach, bestowed the title of student assistant on the senior quarterback from Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Claiborne knew what he was doing.

A year later, Martin became not just a graduate assistant but the team's wide receivers coach, so highly did the veteran coach think of his young graduate assistant.

"Then one day," said Martin, "Coach Claiborne sat me down and explained to me what I needed to do, and what it meant to be a coach."
After the 1987 season, Martin departed to be a full-time assistant at East Tennessee.

Now, 20 years later, were Claiborne still around (the coach passed away in 2000) he would be smiling come Saturday, when Martin brings his Kent State Golden Flashes to Commonwealth Stadium to play his alma mater.

UK gave Kent coach his start