Curtis Martin

Lore & Background

Martin was born in Pittsburgh to Rochella Dixon and Curtis Sr. His father left the family in 1978. His grandmother was murdered; at age 15, a gun pointed at his head failed to fire. He began playing football only in his senior year of high school, rushing for 1,705 yards and 20 touchdowns. He attended the University of Pittsburgh, where injuries limited his college career. He entered the 1995 NFL draft and was taken by the Patriots in the third round. He signed with the Jets in 1998 via a poison pill contract. He won the NFL rushing title in 2004 at age 31, becoming the oldest player to do so. He retired in 2007 due to a bone-on-bone condition in his right knee, finishing with 14,101 rushing yards.

In Their Own Story

The cold air bit at Shea Stadium as the fourth quarter ticked down, the crowd roaring for one more play. Curtis Martin took the handoff, his helmet low, eyes scanning a defense that had been waiting all season to stop him. He didn't force it; he waited. A linebacker hesitated just a fraction of a second too long, and Martin slipped through the gap, exploding into open space with the green turf stretching out before him. It wasn't a flash of speed, but pure, relentless determination.

Reader's Guide

Martin played 11 NFL seasons: three with the Patriots (1995–1997) and eight with the Jets (1998–2005). He was a five-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro. He led the NFL in rushing in 2004. He never played for the Arizona Cardinals. He retired as a Jet in 2007.

Did You Know?

• Martin was selected in the third round of the 1995 NFL draft, not the first round.
• He was selected to five Pro Bowls, not six.
• He earned one first-team All-Pro honor, not three.
• He led the NFL in rushing once (2004), not twice.
• He never played for the Arizona Cardinals; he spent his entire Jets tenure with the team and retired as a Jet.