"Tom vocalized more. Marty doesn't vocalize much," adds junior tight end Andy Marwede.

Leading by example and not rhetoric seems to come naturally to Martinson.

"He seems at ease with himself and very happy. He doesn't ever seem to get frustrated," says Marwede. "He keeps his cool on and off the field."

According to his teammates and coaches, Yale's last minute comebacks in four of its games this season, were dependent, in part, on Martinson's steadfast leadership.

"He always thought that we were in the game. You could tell just by the way he was playing," Marwede continues.

Martinson admits to getting frustrated but notes that one has to keep playing. "There's introspection," he says, "but it all boils down to working hard."

Despite severely injuring his right thumb during last year's Princeton game, Martinson, Marwede says "just kept on playing and snapping with his right hand."

Cozza says of that Princeton game, "after that injury, he still did not make one fumble. That's indicative of the type of person he is."

Martinson switched playing hands before the Harvard game to take to the field one last time before a series of operations. His thumb joint is still virtually immobile.

"He's not the type of person to make a lot of noise. He's a fine leader and football player," says Cozza. He's from Durango, Go...and is not the kind of guy to parade around selling himself. He's just a genuine human being."

"I don't think I've done anything out of the ordinary," says the Eli captain, referring to Yale's improved performance. "There's a lot more competition for positions which makes everyone better players. The good sophmores and experienced seniors give the team enough depth so that we don't have to play people this year who aren't at 100 percent."

As for tomorrow's impending in the Stadium, Martinson says "We are just going to play the best game we can. Win or lose, I won't leave any regrets. Everybody prepares differently. I like to stay loose and listen to music before a game."

And is there life after football Martinson thinks so.

"I want to go out west, back to Denver and get into a management training program," he says. "The East coast moves to fast at around 300 miles per hour, 24 hours per day."

Perhaps nothing describes the Bulldog's leading man better than that.

"He's a typical mid-westerner," Kline says. "Low key and relaxed."