Curtis Martin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Curtis Martin

Martin at a Times Square pep rally for the Jets in January 2010 prior to the AFC Championship Game
No. 28
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Born:	(1973-05-01) May 1, 1973 (age 52) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:	210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school:	Allderdice (Pittsburgh)
College:	Pittsburgh (1991–1994)
NFL Draft:	1995 / Round: 3 / Pick: 74
Career history
New England Patriots (1995–1997) New York Jets (1998–2005)
Career highlights and awards
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1995) First-team All-Pro (2004) 2× Second-team All-Pro (1999, 2001) 5× Pro Bowl (1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004) NFL rushing yards leader (2004) Bart Starr Award (2006) PFWA All-Rookie Team (1995) New England Patriots All-1990s Team New York Jets Ring of Honor New York Jets No. 28 retired
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 14,101 Yards per carry: 4.0 Rushing touchdowns: 90 Receptions: 484 Receiving yards: 3,329 Receiving touchdowns: 10
Player stats at PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame

Curtis James Martin Jr. (born May 1, 1973) is a former professional football player. He was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played most of his career with the New York Jets. Before that, he played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers.

Martin started his NFL career with the New England Patriots. They picked him in the third round of the 1995 NFL draft. He was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in his first season. In 1998, Martin joined the Jets. He played eight seasons there before retiring in 2007 due to an injury. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl five times and was a first-team All-Pro once. Curtis Martin is currently sixth in total NFL rushing yards. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.

Early Life and High School Football

Curtis Jr. was born in Pittsburgh on May 1, 1973. His mother, Rochella Dixon, worked three jobs to support their family. During his childhood, Curtis moved around different neighborhoods in Pittsburgh. His mother wanted him to join an after-school activity to keep him busy and safe.

He started attending Taylor Allderdice High School. This school was known for its strong academics. Curtis played basketball in his sophomore year. He did not play any sports in his junior year. In his senior year, he decided to try football. He had not been very interested in the sport before.

Curtis was a natural athlete, according to his coach Mark Wittgartner. He quickly became a star on the football team. He played as a running back and linebacker. He also played on special teams and sometimes as a quarterback. In his only high school football season, he ran for 1,705 yards. He also scored 20 touchdowns. Martin graduated from Allderdice in 1991. He was later added to their alumni hall of fame in 2011.

His performance caught the eye of Paul Hackett, the football coach at the University of Pittsburgh. Martin chose to stay close to home and attend Pittsburgh.

College Football Career

When Martin arrived at the University of Pittsburgh in 1991, he was expected to be a key player. However, he faced many injuries during his college career. In his junior year, he rushed for 1,045 yards. He also caught 33 passes for 249 yards in ten games. He missed the last two games that season because of a sprained shoulder.

In 1994, Martin started his senior year with a career-high 251 rushing yards against Texas. But the next week, he sprained his ankle against Ohio. This injury kept him out for the rest of the season.

After his senior year, Martin had a choice. He could take a redshirt year and play one more season at Pittsburgh. Or, he could enter the NFL draft. He chose to enter the draft. Experts believed he could have been a first-round pick if he had stayed healthy for another year. Martin was known for his speed, running a 4.4-second 40-yard dash. He also had a powerful running style.

Professional Football Career

New England Patriots Years (1995-1997)

The Patriots needed new running backs after the 1994 season. They drafted Martin in the 1995 NFL draft. This was despite some worries about his past injuries. Martin signed with the team on July 19, 1995. He played his first NFL game in the Patriots' win over the Cleveland Browns. Martin ran for 30 yards on his first carry. He finished the game with 102 yards. He was the first Patriots rookie to rush for 100 yards in his first game.

Martin continued to play well. He rushed for over 100 yards eight more times that season. He ended the season as the AFC's top rusher with 1,487 yards. He also scored 14 touchdowns. He won the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. He was also chosen for the Pro Bowl.

In the next year, Martin rushed for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns. In the playoffs, he was a key player in the Patriots' win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He rushed for a team-record 166 yards and three touchdowns. This included a 78-yard touchdown run. The Patriots went on to play in Super Bowl XXXI. They lost to the Green Bay Packers. Martin rushed for 42 yards and scored a touchdown in that game. He was again named to the Pro Bowl.

New York Jets Years (1998-2005)

After the 1997 season, Martin became a restricted free agent. He signed a contract with the New York Jets on March 20, 1998. The Jets' head coach was Bill Parcells, who had coached Martin in New England. This helped Martin decide to join the Jets. The Patriots did not match the Jets' offer. Instead, they received the Jets' first and third-round draft picks in the 1998 NFL draft.

In his first seven seasons with the Jets, Martin missed only one game. He was selected to the Pro Bowl three times during this period. In 1998, Martin gained 182 yards and scored two touchdowns in a Jets playoff win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2004, Martin rushed for a season-high 196 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals. He rushed for over 100 yards eight more times that season. He finished with 1,697 yards.

Martin won the NFL rushing title in 2004. He became the oldest player, at age 31, to win this title. He was named the FedEx Ground Player of the Year. He was also named an All-Pro and chosen for his fifth and final Pro Bowl.

After Emmitt Smith retired in 2004, Martin became the active leader in career rushing yards. In 2005, Martin hurt his right knee in the Jets' second game. He continued to play despite the injury. On November 27, 2005, Martin joined a special group of players. He became one of only four running backs to rush for 14,000 yards in their career. By December, his knee injury became more serious. Martin decided to have surgery. He finished the season with 735 yards.

Martin started 2006 on the Physically Unable to Perform list. His recovery took longer than expected. By November 2006, he was declared out for the season. He had a bone-on-bone condition in his right knee. After changing his contract to help the Jets with their salary cap, Martin announced his retirement in July 2007. He ended his career with 14,101 total rushing yards. This was the fifth-highest total in NFL history at the time.

After Retirement

After retiring, Martin showed interest in owning an NFL team. He continued his charity work through the Curtis Martin Job Foundation. This foundation helps single mothers, children's charities, people with disabilities, and low-income housing.

Martin was considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011. He was selected for induction on February 4, 2012. He was formally inducted on August 4, 2012. His induction speech was praised for being very heartfelt.

The Jets retired Martin's No. 28 jersey on September 9, 2012. This happened during a halftime ceremony at the Jets' season-opening game.

Personal Life

In 1998, Curtis Martin and his mother began to reconnect with his father, Curtis Sr. His father had struggled with addiction. In 1990, Curtis Sr. sought help and was able to stay sober. The family made peace before his father passed away from cancer in June 2009.

Martin married Carolina Williams in 2010. They had their first child, a daughter named Ava, on December 15, 2011.

Martin is a Christian. He became a Christian when he was 20 years old. He wore the number 28 because of a Bible verse, Deuteronomy 28.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season Stats

Playoff Stats

Awards and Honors

See Also

• List of National Football League career rushing yards leaders
• List of National Football League career rushing touchdowns leaders
• List of National Football League career rushing attempts leaders