Doug Martin obit

Doug Martin, former All-Pro Buccaneers RB and Boise State star, dies at 36

The 'Muscle Hamster' made two Pro Bowls over his seven-year NFL career

 

He was not on the list.

Former Buccaneers All-Pro running back and Boise State star Doug Martin has died at age 36, his family confirmed to Fox's Greg Auman on Sunday. The former first-round pick by Tampa Bay in the 2012 NFL Draft played seven NFL seasons prior to his career ending after a brief stint with the Oakland Raiders.

Martin rushed for 1,454 yards as a rookie in 2012 before playing in only 17 games over his next two years with the Buccaneers. Martin's resurgence was notable in 2015 when he posted an All-Pro and Pro Bowl season in which he rushed for 1,402 yards.

That offseason, Tampa Bay signed Martin to a five-year, $35 million contract extension. Martin struggled thereafter for the NFC South franchise, including a suspension for violation of the league's substance abuse policy that caused him to miss multiple games at the end of the year.

The suspension came amid Martin being benched while the Buccaneers were making a playoff push during the 2016 season. The Buccaneers released Martin after the 2017 season and he later signed with the Raiders to back up Marshawn Lynch.

Known for his bruising style at 5-feet-9 and 225 pounds, Martin starred at Boise State and earned the nickname "Muscle Hamster" during his time on the blue turf.

Prior to Heisman finalist Ashton Jeanty's career, Martin was considered one of the top ballcarriers in program history after ranking third all-time at the school with 43 rushing touchdowns and 48 total touchdowns, fifth with 3,431 rushing yards and sixth with 617 rushing attempts.

Martin was born in Oakland, California, and grew up in Stockton, where he attended St. Mary's High School. Martin was a letterman in football and track. As a junior, he rushed 228 times for 1,950 yards and 18 touchdowns, earning first-team all-selection and all-area honors by the Stockton Record and All-San Joaquin accolades by Comcast Sports. During his senior season, Martin rushed for 1,234 yards on 171 carries and 14 touchdowns winning the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

In track & field, Martin recorded a personal-best time of 11.15 seconds in the 100-meter dash as a senior. He also had top-jumps of 6.69 meters (21 ft, 11 in) in the long jump and 13.20 meters (43 ft, 3 in) in the triple jump.

Martin had interest from bigger programs such as California and Oregon State, but committed to Boise State on December 14, 2006.

Martin attended Boise State University from 2007 to 2011. He finished his college career with 3,431 yards on 617 carries with 43 touchdowns.

Martin made his collegiate debut on September 27, 2007, against Southern Miss, his lone appearance of the season.

In the 2008 season, Martin had 107 rushing yards and three receptions for 54 yards to go along with 10 kick returns for 223 net yards.

Martin's role expanded in the 2009 season. On September 12, against the Miami RedHawks, he had 28 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. On September 26, against Bowling Green, Martin had 116 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. On October 14, in a game at Tulsa, he had 112 rushing yards. On November 20, against Utah State, Martin had 121 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. He followed that up with 128 rushing yards in a victory over Nevada. On December 5, against New Mexico State, Martin had 83 rushing yards and his second game with four rushing touchdowns in the 2009 season. Overall, in the 2009 season, Martin finished with 769 rushing yards, 15 rushing touchdowns, eight receptions, and 68 receiving yards.

As a junior in 2010, Martin continued to contribute for the Broncos. On September 18, against Wyoming, he had 105 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and two receptions for 40 yards. Martin followed that up with 138 rushing yards and 35 receiving yards in a victory over Oregon State. On October 26, against Louisiana Tech, he had 150 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the victory. On November 12, in a game at Idaho, Martin had 117 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. On November 26, in a game at Nevada, he had 152 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to go along with three receptions for 78 yards and a receiving touchdown. On December 22, in the 2010 Maaco Bowl against Utah, Martin had 147 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the victory. Overall, he finished the 2010 season with 1,260 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 28 receptions, 338 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Martin in the first round with the 31st overall pick of the 2012 NFL draft, making him the first player from Boise State University to be drafted by the Buccaneers. Martin was the second running back to be selected that year. On June 4, 2012, he signed a five-year contract, worth $6.787 million with the team. After a successful 2012 preseason with the Buccaneers, where he rushed for 97 yards on 27 carries to go with two rushing touchdowns, Martin was officially named as the team's starting running back entering the 2012 regular season by coach Greg Schiano.

On September 9, Martin had 95 rushing yards and 23 receiving yards in his NFL debut in the 16–10 victory over the Carolina Panthers. In the next game, a 41–34 loss to the New York Giants, he scored his first professional touchdown. On October 25, Martin rushed for 135 yards and one touchdown and caught three passes for 79 yards and a touchdown in a 36–17 win against the Minnesota Vikings. A week later, he rushed for 251 yards and tied the NFL record for rushing touchdowns in a half with four in a 42–32 road victory over the Oakland Raiders. In the game, Martin became the first player in NFL history to score touchdown runs of 70-plus, 45-plus, and 65-plus yards in a game, and is the second player in league history (along with Mike Anderson) to run for 250+ yards and four touchdowns in a game (coincidentally, they both ran for exactly 251 yards and were both in their rookie seasons). Martin broke the franchise records for rushing yardage and touchdowns in a game. He scored 24 total points in the game, which was the most by any player in a single game in the 2012 season. Martin earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his historic game against the Raiders. On November 18, against the Panthers, he had 138 rushing yards in the 27–21 victory. Three weeks later, Martin had 128 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the narrow 23–21 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. In the regular season finale against the Atlanta Falcons, he had 142 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown during the 22–17 victory.

At the end of the regular season, Martin finished with over 1,450 yards rushing and nearly 500 yards receiving. His 1,926 yards from scrimmage in a single season ranks him second in Buccaneers' history behind James Wilder Sr. (2,229 yards from scrimmage). His 1,454 rushing yards broke the Buccaneers' single-season rookie rushing record that was previously held by Cadillac Williams (1,178 rushing yards). On January 4, 2013, Martin was announced as one of five finalists for the 2012 NFL Rookie of the Year. He earned a Pro Bowl nomination for his performance in the 2012 season. Martin was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team. He was ranked 57th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013.