Curtis Martin

Curtis James Martin Jr. (born May 1, 1973) is a former American professional football running back who spent 11 seasons in the NFL, first with the New England Patriots and then the New York Jets. Drafted by the Patriots in the third round of the 1995 NFL draft, he played his first three seasons there and was named the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. In 1998, he moved to the Jets, where he played for eight seasons. Over his career, he earned five Pro Bowl selections and one first-team All-Pro honor. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012 and ranks sixth all-time in total NFL rushing yards.

Martin was born in Pittsburgh to Rochella Dixon and Curtis Martin Sr. His father left the family in 1978 due to struggles with drugs and alcohol, leaving his mother to work three jobs to support them. As a child, Martin frequently moved around Pittsburgh neighborhoods and was often exposed to violence. His grandmother, Eleanor Johnson, was found stabbed to death. At age 15, Martin survived a near-fatal incident when a loaded gun pointed at his head was pulled seven times without firing.

He and his mother settled in Point Breeze before his sophomore year of high school. He attended Taylor Allderdice High School, known for its strong academics. He played basketball as a sophomore but no sports as a junior. At his mother’s urging—she wanted him involved in an activity to steer him away from crime—he started playing football in his senior year, despite having little interest in the sport before. Coach Mark Wittgartner called him a natural athlete, and Martin quickly became a standout, playing running back, linebacker, special teams, and occasionally quarterback. He rushed for 1,705 yards and 20 touchdowns in his only high school season. He graduated in 1991 and was inducted into the school’s alumni hall of fame in 2011.

His high school performance caught the attention of University of Pittsburgh coach Paul Hackett. Though he had other offers, Martin chose to stay close to home and attend Pitt.

In college, Hackett compared Martin to Tony Dorsett, but injuries limited much of his career. As a junior, he rushed for 1,045 yards and caught 33 passes for 249 yards in ten games, missing the final two with a sprained shoulder. In his senior year, he ran for a career-high 251 yards against Texas, but the next week he sprained his ankle against Ohio and missed the rest of the season. He could have redshirted and played another year at Pitt, but he chose to enter the NFL draft, saying it was the best decision. Analysts believed that if he had stayed and stayed healthy, he could have been a first-round pick. He was known for his speed—running a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash—and his slashing running style.

After the 1994 season, the Patriots lost three running backs to free agency and needed to rebuild their backfield. One of those backs, Kevin Turner, signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as a restricted free agent, and Philadelphia sent a third-round pick to New England. The Patriots used that pick to draft Martin in 1995, despite concerns about his durability. He signed on July 19, 1995, and made his NFL debut in a Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns, running for 30 yards on his first carry and finishing with 102 yards. He was the first Patriots rookie to rush for 100 yards in his debut. He topped 100 yards eight more times that season, leading the AFC with 1,487 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year and made the Pro Bowl.

The next season, Martin rushed for 100 yards only twice but still totaled 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns. In his first playoff game, he helped the Patriots beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Divisional round, rushing for a then-franchise-record 166 yards and three touchdowns, including a 78-yard score—the second-longest playoff touchdown run at the time. The Patriots reached Super Bowl XXXI but lost to the Green Bay Packers. Martin ran for 42 yards, caught three passes for 28 yards, and scored a touchdown. He made the Pro Bowl again.

After the 1997 season, Martin became a restricted free agent. His agent, Eugene Parker, contacted the New York Jets on the first day of free agency to gauge their interest. Negotiations followed with Jets head coach and general manager Bill Parcells, who had recently left New England. Martin had reservations about playing for a division rival, but Parcells’ presence swayed him. On March 20, 1998, he signed a six-year, $36 million contract that included a “poison pill” clause.