Curtis Martin’s career is a collection of well known accomplishments and little known facts.. At his running back position Curtis Martin has accumulated statistics that are unlikely to be thought of by sports fans as “little known facts”. At the same time Curtis Martin’s life has also produced some little known facts at those times when he has appeared to drop off the NFL radar all together. As Curtis Martin looks at the likelihood of retirement from professional sports he will undoubtedly miss the thrill of the game but he may also have a chance to enjoy the privacy that will allow him to accumulate some additional little known facts about Curtis Martin.
Late Bloomer Because football is such a physically demanding sport and because the position of running back is seen as a skill position, most fans expect that top college football players enter collegiate programs with extensive high school preparation. Lots of time in the weight room, plenty of seasoning with lots of on the field game time, and of course practice practice, practice, this is what makes a high school player into a sought after college recruit.
Things didn’t exactly play out that way for Curtis Martin. A little known fact about Curtis Martin is that he didn’t appear in a high school football uniform until the final year of his eligibility. How could he possibly have been recruited to play college ball at a Division I school, is a fair question to ask. It’s really quite simple. Curtis Martin got the attention of the University of Pittsburg and undoubtedly a few others with his senior statistics. All he did was run 1,705 yards and score 20 touchdowns. Some folks apparently don’t need four years to make a point.
Pittsburg Panther Martin had played his high school ball in Pittsburg and followed that up with a four year stint at the University of Pittsburg. There he was a standout and was poised for what would hopefully be a senior year that could establish Martin as a legitimate participant in the NFL draft. But once again Curtis Martin did not appear on the radar where and when you might expect him to.
Most football fans know that at the end of his senior year Curtis Martin would be drafted as a running back by the New England Patriots and go on to have a highly visible and successful career there, followed by an equally successful career with the New York Jets. What is a little known fact about Curtis Martin is how close all that came to not happening at all. In a game at Ohio, Martin sustained what turned out to be a season ending injury to his ankle. It could have taken him totally out of the draft picture, but fortunately for Martin and sports fans who have enjoyed his performance on the field for years he was taken by the Pats, bad ankle and all.
The Quiet Man With both the Patriots and the Jets, Curtis Martin was a good but low profile player. With a professional attitude and a come to play demeanor Martin was respected by fans and teammates but in a quiet way. With so many high profile, prima donna types in professional sports, it’s almost easy to lose track of a guy like Curtis Martin. He can consistently turn in 100 yard rushing games and no one seems to know it.
Perhaps that’s why everyone knows Curtis Martin is a good, solid running back but it is perhaps still a little known fact how good he really is. It is likely that Curtis Martin, when his playing days are finished, will turn a little known fact into a nationally known one. Martin is only 33 and by rights he could have a few more productive years. But injury has again shortened Curtis Martin’s playing time. His current knee injury looks to be the final one he will have to endure. Surgical attempts to get Martin onto the field and functional have come up short and his inability to execute cuts and “football moves” will probably mean the end of a very prolific career.
Whenever that career does come to an end many people will be made more aware of just how good Curtis Martin is. They will hear repeatedly that he is the NFL’s fourth all time leading rusher, and probably be surprised. They may also hear sometime soon that Curtis Martin has been chosen for the Football Hall of Fame.
Other Pursuits What will someone who has had the outstanding career of a Curtis Martin do with his time when his professional playing days are over. Coach? Do color commentary? Perhaps. But Curtis has interests other than football.
A little known fact about Curtis Martin is that he is an active collector of art. His eye for the space between linemen to squirm through for a touchdown is the same eye he uses to evaluate and select art work for his personal collection. Right now it’s just a little known fact about Curtis Martin that he owns paintings that go back to the 1600’s but it is possible that his interest in art may take him in new directions when his playing days are officially through.
It’s got to be fun being Curtis Martin and having people know that you are an outstanding athlete, but it must also be enjoyable being Curtis Martin and keeping some little known facts about yourself, to yourself.
