TROY, Ala. -- Legends grow. Just ask your uncle about the fish he caught once upon a time. It gets bigger with every retelling.
This legend, about the would-be tackling king of college football, is different. Because Carlton Martial has been shrinking ever since he got to Troy. He first showed up on the roster in 2017 as a modestly undersized linebacker at 5-foot-11. But a year later, he lost an inch. And two years after that, he lost another.
When Martial walked into a conference room last month, he was even smaller. Truth be told, coaches admit, he's closer to 5-foot-8 -- or about 7 inches shorter than the average height of Mel Kiper Jr.