Prior to the 2007 season, Roanoke Rapids (N.C.) head coach Russell Weinstein envisioned Kareem Martin as a wide receiver. It didn't take long for Martin to impress on the defensive side of the ball, though, and now the 6-6, 220-pound junior has become one of the top defensive prospects in the state of North Carolina's 2010 class.
"Kareem is a testament to what hard work will do for you," Weinstein said. "Obviously, he has God-given talents such as being 6-5, almost 6-6. When I first met the young man, he was a 6-4 rising sophomore, but he didn't weigh 180 pounds. I watched him play basketball and had intentions of throwing the ball to him as a wide receiver. When I got to doing live work with him, we put him on the defensive side of the ball on the scout team. He started making plays. I noticed his ability to get off blocks and pursue and get to the ball. He ended up playing every game at defensive end as a sophomore. He just battled. He played hard all the time.