(WSYM) — Mason football has had quite the ride the past couple of years. Senior running back AJ Martel is a big reason why. The senior running back has been almost unstoppable so far this year. Now, he's closing in on rewriting the history books.
"I probably won't think too much about it because we'll be in the middle of a game," Martel said. "It's going to be a lot of relief to finally get that done, a lot of gratitude for the guys I played with and the coaching staff that has put the ball in my hands."
Former Mason and Central Michigan University running back Saylor Lavalli has held the record with 4,003 rushing yards. Martel is less than five yards away from breaking the record.
"By the time he was a sophomore he was a really good player," Mason coach Gary Houghton said. "There is no way to put a value to that. It's just really tough (for opposing defenses) when he is producing like that and he has a really good line in front of him."
Martel didn't realize until earlier this year that he really had a shot at breaking the record. His best friends and offensive line are the ones he credits for helping. It's a group that has been together since fourth grade, they knew Martel had a chance to do it then.
"It means a ton. I've seen players take all the credit themselves. When you have a guy like AJ that will credit the offensive line for his success it's amazing," Mason offensive lineman Brennan Miller said.