Harvey Martin

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Martin transferred to South Oak Cliff High School in his junior year (1967), the first integrated high school in Dallas. He first played football after overhearing his father express shame that his son did not play like his friends' children. As a senior, he moved to defensive tackle and became the best lineman on a 12–1 team that won the Dallas City championship. The only college to offer him a scholarship was East Texas State University (now Texas A&M University–Commerce). In college, he evolved into the best defensive end in school history, leading the team to a national title in 1972 and earning NAIA All-American honors. He was inducted into Texas A&M University–Commerce's Hall of Fame in 1987, and the school hosts the Harvey Martin Classic. He was named the Lone Star Conference defensive player of the decade for the 1970s and inducted into the Lone Star Conference Hall of Fame in 2010. Martin was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 1973 NFL draft. He was nicknamed 'Too Mean' and became a full-time starter by his third year (1975). According to Cowboys' stats, he is unofficially credited with 114 sacks, leading the team in sacks seven times in a nine-year period, with a high of 23 sacks in 1977. He still holds the team record for most sacks for a rookie (9 in 1973) and in a season (23 in 1977). His unofficial career franchise sack record lasted 30 years, broken by DeMarcus Ware in 2013. In 1977, he totaled 85 tackles and a league-leading 23 sacks (equaling Myles Garrett's record 23 sacks achieved in 17 games), was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year, a consensus All-Pro, and co-MVP of Super Bowl XII with Randy White. He went to the Pro Bowl four times. Martin retired in 1983 after refusing a Cowboys-ordered drug test and during a feud with the team. He later admitted in a 1986 autobiography that he had a cocaine addiction. He was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame. The Professional Football Researchers Association named him to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2016. After retirement, he worked as an NFL analyst for NBC, participated in the battle royal at WrestleMania 2 (1986), and appeared as a ringside commentator in World Class Championship Wrestling and the Global Wrestling Federation. He struggled with bankruptcies, domestic violence, and polysubstance abuse. In 1996,

In Their Own Story

The 1977 season stands as one of the greatest individual performances in NFL history. In just 14 games, Harvey Martin amassed 85 tackles and a staggering 23 sacks, outpacing records set over longer seasons. This dominance propelled him to consensus All-Pro status and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. His partnership with Randy White was instrumental in Dallas winning Super Bowl XII, where their combined pressure on opposing quarterbacks became the stuff of legend. However, Martin's career took a tragic turn as personal demons surfaced. Following his 23-sack season, his production dwindled alongside growing financial troubles and addictions. In 1983, after recording just two sacks, he refused a team-ordered drug test and claimed he was being forced to play injured, leading to his retirement. Martin later admitted in a 1986 autobiography that he suffered from cocaine addiction at the time. He hit rock bottom in 1996 with domestic violence charges before turning his life around to speak against drug abuse. He passed away on December 24, 2001, of pancreatic cancer at age 51.

Reader's Guide

Harvey Martin is one of the most recognized names in Texas A&M University–Commerce athletics. He never played a home game, at any level, outside of North Texas. Along with Don Meredith, he is among the few players to play high school (Dallas South Oak Cliff High School), college (East Texas State University, now Texas A&M University–Commerce), and pro career (Dallas Cowboys) in and around the Dallas, Texas, area.

Did You Know?

• Martin's 23 sacks in 1977 equaled Myles Garrett's record 23 sacks achieved in 17 games, but the source does not state that Martin's 23 sacks surpassed Michael Strahan's 22.5 record in 16 games.
• Martin was co-MVP of Super Bowl XII with Randy White.
• He was nicknamed 'Too Mean' and also called 'The Beautiful'.
• Martin's unofficial career franchise sack record of 114 lasted 30 years before being broken by DeMarcus Ware in 2013.
• He participated in the battle royal at WrestleMania 2 in 1986.