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Doug Martin arrived on Boise State University’s campus nearly two decades ago to play football on its famous blue field and, despite being a squat, was a little-known recruiter. Northern CaliforniaTurned himself into a hard-hitting rusher and first-round pick nfl draft pick.
Nicknamed the “Muscle Hamster” for both his size and running style, he was twice named to the Pro Bowl. tampa bay buccaneers He was rewarded with a big contract in 2016 during a seven-year NFL career. But his injury-prone ways on the field caused him to miss long periods of time due to a variety of injuries and contributed to his retirement.
His life ended tragically over the weekend oaklandThe Bay Area city where he was born and finished his career with the Raiders seven years ago.
Martin, 36, died after what police described as a “brief struggle” with officers who arrested him during a home burglary investigation early Saturday. He was unresponsive and pronounced dead at the hospital, Oakland police said. The cause of death has not been released.
Many questions remain unanswered, including how many officers were involved, how long they struggled with Martin, and how they restrained him. The officers who detained him have been placed on paid leave pending the investigation, which is a standard police practice.
Martin’s former agent released a statement on Monday at the request of his family, saying that Martin had privately struggled with mental health challenges that “had a profound impact on his personal and professional life.”
On the day he died, Martin, feeling overwhelmed and confused, fled his home and broke into a neighbor’s house two doors down, where police confronted him, said the former agent, Brian Murphy.
Murphy said that Martin’s parents had sought medical help for him and had contacted local authorities for support. “Ultimately, mental illness proved to be the one opponent Doug could not escape,” he said.
Martin arrived at Boise State from Stockton, California and received little playing time his first two seasons. He was even moved to the defensive tackle position briefly before moving to running back, only because his position was stretched thin due to injuries.
But he led the school in rushing and was named all-conference in his final two seasons, making him one of the greatest running backs in school history.
Tampa Bay traded up to select Martin in the first round of the 2012 draft, a move that paid off almost immediately. He became successful in the second half of his rookie year and was selected to the Pro Bowl.
He burst onto the NFL scene that season with a 251-yard, four-TD rushing performance against Oakland – which tied for the 12th-most rushing yards in a single game in NFL history and is still a franchise record for the Bucs.
Martin described his running style as aggressive and relentless. During his career with Tampa Bay, he twice ran for over 1,400 yards, but he failed to get close to it in the other four years, mainly because he was injured.
Martin was suspended for four games during an injury-filled 2016 season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances and entered a treatment facility rather than appeal the ban.
He issued a statement at the time saying that he was determined to overcome pain and injuries so he could become an elite player on the field.
“Off the field, I’ve used the same approach in my personal life,” Martin said. “My shortcomings in this area have taught me that I cannot win these personal battles alone and there is no shame in asking for help.”
Bucs general manager Jason Licht said after the suspension was announced that Martin was “dealing with issues that are much bigger than the game of football.”
Martin spent another year with Tampa Bay before signing a one-year contract. oakland raiders Before the 2018 season. He started nine games and rushed for 723 yards in his final season.