San Francisco 49ers

49ers OL Martin ready to take next step in sophomore campaign

Published Jul. 23, 2015 2:31 p.m. ET

foxsports

In an offseason filled with a number of roster changes, the San Francisco 49ers -- and Colin Kaepernick -- know they will have a familiar face along the offensive line.

That would be second-year player Marcus Martin. The USC product was thrust into the starting lineup midway through his rookie season because of an injury to starting center Daniel Kilgore, but met his own expectations under the circumstances.

“Everything was uphill at first, but I gathered information and by the end of the year, I felt so fluid," Martin said.

Entering his second season, Martin feels ready for more responsibility. He said he feels "100 percent" and even lost weight in the offseason, thanks to inspiration from teammate Vernon Davis.

"One thing I learned from him is that you can’t get any better in your career without hard work,” he told 49ers.com.

Martin, along with the 49ers faithful, hope that hard work translates to success in 2015.

(h/t 49ers.com)

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports