Legacy: Delbert Knight, Jr.

As the nephew of football great Harvey Martin, football is more than a pastime for Delbert Knight, Jr., it is a passion.

I played high school football for Trinity Christian in Cedar Hill, and had offers to play at Prairie View A&M and Oklahoma State,” Knight said. “Then my uncle told me to check out A&M-Commerce. I always looked up to him, so I took him up on it. I’m glad I did.”

Knight continued his uncle’s great legacy at A&M-Commerce as he too found success on and off the field, maturing both as an athlete and as a person.

“The football coaches expected the best from me at all times,” Knight said. “The faculty pushed me to succeed, and expected me to be in class. I couldn’t slide by based on my place on the team.”

Following a team tragedy his sophomore year, Knight began thinking hard about his future, and what he would do when he graduated. “I knew a career in the NFL wasn’t likely, so I needed a solid education to fall back on.”

When Knight graduated in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and an emphasis in criminal justice, he left prepared to work hard and make a name for himself in the business world like his father, uncle and brother before him.

“I went to work for my dad after graduation, and found my niche in the mortgage industry,” he said. “When an opportunity arose to join a management training program at one of the largest mortgage companies, I jumped on it.”

Thanks to his competitive spirit, infectious personality and the encouragement from his mother Mary Martin, and his brother Simeon who also is in the mortgage business, Knight rose through the ranks becoming vice president of sales in only a few years.

“I always wanted to make my mark on the world,” Knight said. “With a successful career and a wonderful family, God has paved the way for me to do that.”

While his biggest roles are as a husband, father and vice president, Knight still makes time for football, playing regularly on his flag football team that has been nationally ranked and won a few championships. His family also took part in the inaugural 2008 Harvey Martin Classic at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

“I thank Carlton Cooper for bringing the Harvey Martin Classic to life, for bringing my uncle back into the spotlight where he belongs,” Knight said.

“A&M-Commerce contributed to my success, and it helped my uncle find success. It means a lot that A&M-Commerce is taking the time to honor his legacy.”