Todd Jones/ Utah Statesman

After being cut from Fresno State, former walk-on Joey DeMartino found a home in Logan, Utah as a scholarship player.

For most of his life, Joey DeMartino was often considered the best athlete on the field.

As a running back during his senior season at Mt. Carmel High School in San Diego, DeMartino reached nearly 1,500 total yards while scoring 16 touchdowns.

But that all changed when DeMartino walked on to the Fresno State football team. Fresh off a rehabbed injury, DeMartino was primed to make the team as a non-scholarship player.

“He made it as a walk on,” Bulldogs running backs coach Joe Wade said about DeMartino. “A true, true walk on like he was just a student. He went through what we call ‘the few, the proud, the free,’ where they make it through the tryout, the whole thing. He made it through some long odds.”

After a successful tryout session in the winter following the 2008 season, DeMartino joined the team as a running back just in time for spring practice in 2009.

But making an immediate impact on the squad was a lot tougher than he expected.

With future NFL players Ryan Mathews and Lonyae Miller on that roster, coaches had a hard time figuring out where to give reps to Demartino.

“At that time it was tough at tailback,” Wade said. “We had a lot of guys””seniors, [Mathews] and Robbie Rouse. That doesn’t even mention A.J. Ellis or Michael Harris. Your talking about seven guys and he’s a guy walking on from off campus. It would have been real tough to get him reps.”

Eventually DeMartino was cut because of Fresno State’s depth at his position.

“The need was already filled,” DeMartino said. “They were stacked at the running back position at the time I was trying out. It wasn’t the right timing.”

Playing at the collegiate level had always been a goal for DeMartino. So when he was cut from a Division I program it was a tough pill for him to swallow from the outset.

“It was definitely a heartbreaker because I never been cut from anything before in my life,” DeMartino said. “When it hit me, I was really sad at first.”

“It kind of gave me a reality call that you just got to work hard all the time,” he added.

Over a period of time, DeMartino was finally able to come to terms with the situation.

“I learned a lot about football, mechanics and [fundamentals] in Fresno,” he said. “It was a good experience there.”

With a strong supporting cast in his personal life, DeMartino was encouraged by his family, friends, former teammates and coaches to continue his journey of pursuing a college career.

“Coach Wade was real cool about it,” DeMartino said. “He told me to keep in touch. He told me that if he could do anything to help, he would help me out.”

DeMartino was faced with the option to either stay at Fresno State and continue attending his classes or move back home to San Diego and attend community college.

It was a difficult decision for him to make at first but his love for the game and perseverance through the entire ordeal led him to Grossmont College in El Cajon, Calif., where he excelled on and off the field.

At Grossmont College, DeMartino was once again his team’s star player. He made an instant impact leading the team in rushing as a freshman in 2009, racking up 952 yards and six touchdowns en route to being named the team’s offensive most valuable player.

In the classroom, DeMartino improved his grades dramatically and was able to obtain his degree in his one and only year at Grossmont College.

“I had to do good in school,” DeMartino said. “I was taking a lot of units in the spring. I took a full load. I was taking summer school just to get my AA in one year.”

Despite getting cut at Fresno State and battling to stay academically eligible, DeMartino was able to overcome the obstacles that derailed his college career.

Shortly after finishing his spring semester at Grossmont College, DeMartino was offered a scholarship very late in the recruiting season to play for Utah State. He saw his first action at running back with the Aggies last week in the contest against Idaho State, rushing for 38 yards and a touchdown on only three carries.

“I’m just glad the opportunity came up for me to have a shot to play [Division I] college football,” DeMartino said.

Coach Wade wasn’t surprised that Demartino developed into a Division I caliber player.

“He’s a good kid,” Wade said. “He gave a lot of effort. At times we were playing him a little out of position because we were so stacked at tailback. I wish him the best. I think its great to see that he’s had the diligence to follow through, make it and be a contributor to Utah State.”

DeMartino will face his former team Saturday when the ‘Dogs travel to Logan, Utah for the conference opener at 5:00 p.m.