Tom Martinez, a Bay Area coaching legend well known for being Tom Brady’s quarterback mentor, announced on Facebook that he does not have long to live.
The following message, as pointed out by the San Jose Mercury News, was posted on Facebook by Linda Martinez Haley:
“This was dictated to me today by my dad, Tom Martinez. He asked me to post this important message for you all on Facebook.
“We have received some bad news that I wanted to share with all of you. I have been given a week to a month to live, depending on my body’s response to medication. I want to thank you for the relationship that we shared and the friendships that allowed me to have a very successful career. As much as I would like to talk to you each in person, that is not feasible so please respect my family’s need for some privacy now.
“If the number of lives that I’ve been involved with are in the thousands, then it isn’t possible to talk to each and every one of you. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to teach and coach you all and I ask that you take one or two of my life lessons and pass them on to your family and friends and that will keep me alive forever. With much love and appreciation, I wish all of you a very successful and fulfilled life. TM”
Tom Martinez, who won more than 1,100 games at the College of San Mateo, has battled complications from diabetes in recent years. Our thoughts go out to him and his family during this time.