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[Dave Johnson]

Andy Allison, left, and Tron Martinez are best of friends, brothers. Photo by Diane Cebula/Daily Press

Hampton's Tron Martinez: Loving his new life

By Dave Johnson | djohnson@dailypress.com

Joan Allison will never forget the first time she met the boy who would become her fourth child. How could she?

The first thing she noticed was his grace. He was riding his bicycle down the street, but his feet were on the handlebars. A pure athlete, she noted.

Then she got to know him. Polite, charming, intelligent … even in the face of a challenging life. And what a fantastic handle — Tron Martinez, his first name coming from the Disney movie and video game from the early 1980s.

Tron had become best friends with Joan’s youngest son, Andy. Pretty soon after that, he became an official member of the Allison family.

Today, Tron and Andy are brothers, buddies and teammates at Hampton High, where each has his role on the Crabbers’ undefeated football team. Tron goes into Friday night’s showdown against Phoebus with a Peninsula District-leading 989 yards and 13 touchdowns.

"We thought he was very special from the moment we met him," Joan Allison says. "My husband (Jack) and I saw a kid who had run out of hope, and we thought he deserved a chance. There are so many things about Tron that impress me. And football has nothing to do with any of them."

The Allisons legally adopted Tron in 2004, the summer before his and Andy’s 8th grade year. Tron gained a father, a mother, two brothers (Andy and John, now a senior at North Carolina A&T) and a sister (Shelby, a senior at UNLV).

"It’s a blessing, really," Tron says. "I love it."

The story begins in Fayetteville, N.C., where Jack Allison was stationed at Pope Air Force Base. Tron and Andy were in the 5th grade when they first met at Howard Hall Elementary. Casual friends at first, they grew closer and eventually became inseparable. Toward the end of their 7th grade year, Tron was practically living at the Allisons’ home.

And then, the family made it official.

Joan says Tron was "a kid who needed guidance," and the family was there for him. Tron says he has a good relationship with his biological mother, who lives in North Carolina, but "this is the right place for me to be."

Everything is working out.

On the field, Martinez is a 175-pound workhorse. Through six games, he has carried the ball 145 times — an average of 24 per game. He also starts at linebacker, where despite cornerback size he is among the Crabbers’ top tacklers. He returns kickoffs — though with Hampton’s penchant for shutouts these days, that’s usually only one per game.

"He’s doing pretty good for a man playing on one leg," Hampton coach Mike Smith says. "His ankle has been all twisted up. But he’s sure having a good season for us."

From the get-go. In his first game as the Crabbers’ featured runner, Martinez had 195 yards on 29 carries in a win over Gloucester. He also had a couple of fumbles, which he heard about (mostly from Andy). Two weeks later, he ran for 189 yards and five touchdowns in a blowout of Menchville. A week later, a career-best 212 vs. Denbigh.

"He runs between the tackles as well as anybody I’ve ever seen," Woodside coach Danny Dodson says. "He’s not very big, but he runs big — real big. He’s so strong and fast. Gosh, he’s tough."

Martinez, a 17-year-old junior, isn’t into promoting himself. Aside from his running style and two earrings, there’s nothing all that flashy about him. When he scores a touchdown, he bypasses the end zone dance and hands the ball to the referee. After making a tackle, he simply gets ready for the next play.

He’s a quiet kid, at least to those who don’t really know him. Andy really knows him, probably better than anybody.

"He’s very funny, very sarcastic," says Andy, a junior linebacker. "People don’t get to know that side of him when they see him at school, because he’s always getting his work done. But when we’re at home, when we’re around with the fellas, he’s real funny."

Tron and Andy have a unique relationship. In some respects, they’re closer than brothers, because brothers usually fight at least once in a while.

"He’s always been my buddy," Tron says. "He look out for me. And I look out for him."

The only source of friction between them? Before having a deviated septum taken care of last spring, Tron had some major snoring issues.

"I used to have to bang on the walls every night," Andy says. "Because our beds are back-to-back along the wall."

Tron and Andy call themselves "Black and Whyte," though neither is sure why they decided to spell white with a y. (Maybe it just looks cooler). Those are the names each has scored in their cell phones. Though Tron’s skin color is different than the rest of the family, race has never been a factor.

"Sometimes the girls come to me and say, ‘Mrs. Allison, your son is so fine!’" says Joan, a security officer at the school. "And I’ll say, ‘Which one? The white one or the black one?’"

The hardest period came during the boys’ 9th grade year, when they had to separate. Jack was transferred from Pope to Langley, and Joan says Tron had to remain in Fayetteville as the process was finalized. After the school year ended, Tron joined the Allisons at Langley. Tron enrolled at Hampton as a sophomore and was the Crabbers’ second-leading rusher last fall.

The Allisons have provided Tron with the stable enviornment he needed. He, in return, has provided them with another reason to be proud.

"A mom doesn’t know the difference between those she gave birth to and those she adopted," Joan says. "Tron came through me just like my other kids. He’s treated just like the other kids. When we croak, he’s going to get part of the inheritance. And I nag all of them all the time."

And then, turning to Tron … "Don’t I, honey?"

[phsblue&gold]

What a wonderful article! Unfortunately I have to cheer on my Phoebus Phantoms on Friday.

[whocares]

What a great article about both of these boys.

[PDisthebestK54]

that picture basically sums it all up

[OLESCHOOL]

Now thats a good story!!!!!!!!

[Charles]

$ L.w.g. $

[Old School 33]

Great story. I am very happy for him and very grateful to the Allison Family for letting him in. At some point we need to stop looking at race and look at what is in the heart and it seems like the Allisons have a good hearts.