Raiders star Doug Martin has proven to be an eccentric but highly productive player. His athletic ability and experience have kept him at the top of his game since the inception of his career. Doug has undoubtedly made his mark as one of the most reliable running backs in the National Football League. Interestingly, the player garnered a lot of attention in 2016 after facing a four-match ban following his violation of the league’s drug policy. Since then, the two-time Pro Bowler has been making headlines. Keep reading as we take you through Doug Martin’s career, family, and other interesting facts below.
Who is Doug Martin?
Doug Martin is a renowned American football running back player currently associated with the Oakland Raiders of the NFL. The player turned pro when he was picked by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the NFL draft of 2012 and he completed six professional seasons with the Buccaneers before joining the Raiders in 2018. Doug completed his college career with the Boise State Broncos football team.
The running back star was born as Douglas Martin on the 13th day of January 1989 in Oakland, California. He was born to black American parents Doug Martin Sr. and his wife, Leslie Martin and he spent his early years in Stockton neighbourhood of California. There, he completed his studies at St Mary’s High School where he was a standout athlete and competed in football and track events. Amazingly, he was named the most valuable player in his senior year after rushing for 1,234 yards with 171 receptions.
Doug attracted a lot of attention from top colleges following his outstanding high school record. Prior to his graduation, he declared his interest to play college football with the Broncos football team of Boise State University. Joining the Broncos, Doug played for four seasons, ending in 2011 and he completed 3,431 rushing yards with 43 touchdowns. He made his first appearance for the Broncos during the 2007 season against Southern Missouri football team. The player went on to record his breakout year in 2009 when he scored 15 touchdowns with 769 rushing yards. The following year, he notched 1,260 rushing yards while making two touchdowns and 28 receptions. He led the Broncos to the Maaco Bowl held in Las Vegas in 2011. There, he was given the most valuable player award after, scoring a touchdown with 151 rushing yards.
Why Was He Suspended?
The running back star was experiencing an awesome professional career until 2016 when the news of his violation of the league’s drug policy surfaced. In view of that, Doug was suspended for four games after testing positive to performance enhancement drug called Adderall. While he declared his intent to undergo rehab, the Buccaneers saw that as an opportunity to lay him off following his declining performances.
Meanwhile, Doug Martin isn’t the first player to have faced such a penalty for violating the league’s drug use policy. Other players including Jalen Collins, Vadal Alexander, Mark Ingram, Mark Sanchez, and Thomas Davis, have also had their own share of the suspension.
Read More: Frank Gore Biography, Career Stats, Net Worth, Salary and Family
His Career Stats and Injury Updates
Muscle Hamster as he was fondly called in college, Doug joined the NFL combine drills for the 2011 draft. During the draft, he was chosen by Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Notably, Doug was the second running back and the first player to be selected from Boise State University. He penned down his rookie contract valued at $6.78 million for five years with the Buccaneers in June 2012.
Becoming the Buccaneers’ starting running back for the 2012 regular season, Doug Martin made a lasting first impression in his first professional season, thus, earning a spot on the PFWA All-Rookie team as well as Pro Bowl at the end of the season. He finished his rookie year with a total of 1,454 rushing yards with 49 receptions and 11 touchdowns. The following season, Doug didn’t see action in so many games as he incurred shoulder and labrum injuries that season. He featured in just six games, covering 456 yards with 12 receptions and a touchdown. Joining the active roster again in the 2014 season, Doug played 11 games for the Buccaneers, coming through with 494 rushing yards, 13 receptions, and scoring two touchdowns at the end of the season.
The outstanding running back recorded significant improvement in his game in 2015, making a total of 33 receptions with 1,402 rushing yards while scoring 6 touchdowns. For his outstanding performance, Doug was named to his second Pro Bowl, First Team All-Pro, and placed at number 33 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016. He got another five-year contract extension with the Buccaneers in 2016. The contract is valued at $35.75 million. During the season, the running back experienced an unimpressive performance, finishing the season with 14 receptions, three touchdowns, and 421 rushing yards. His dwindling performance continued in 2017 which led the Buccaneers to lay him off.
After that, Doug Martin was then recruited by the Oakland Raiders in March 2018. He signed a one-year contract and was placed as a substitute for Marshawn Lynch. Following Lynch’s injury, Doug became a starter for the remainder of the season. The star rushed for 723 yards, making 18 receptions, and four touchdowns.
Facts About Doug Martin’s Family
Like we aforementioned, Doug Martin came from a black American family; he was born to Doug Martin Sr. (father) and Leslie Martin (mother). Notably, the running back isn’t the only child of his parents; he has a sister named Gabrielle Martin with whom he was raised. There is no much information about his family but it is very clear that they are very supportive of his football career.
