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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | (1954-04-07)April 7, 1954 (age 70) Welch, West Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 218 lb (99 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Alexander Hamilton (Los Angeles, California) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Los Angeles City (1973–1974) USC (1975–1976) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1977: 12th round, 317th pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Roderick Darryl Martin (born April 7, 1954) is an American former professionalfootball player who was alinebacker in theNational Football League (NFL) for theOakland /Los Angeles Raiders from 1977 to 1988. He is best known for his record threeinterceptions inSuper Bowl XV, which put him on the cover ofSports Illustrated.[1]
Martin went toHamilton High School class of 1972; two years ahead of NFLhall of fame quarterbackWarren Moon (c/o 1974).
Before his NFL career, Martin playedcollege football for theUSC Trojans (USC), where he was a 1976 All-Pac-10 selection. Prior to USC, Martin played atLos Angeles City College.
Martin was one of the top linebackers in the NFL during his 12 seasons and made thePro Bowl twice during his career, in 1983 and 1984. Selected in the twelfth round of the1977 NFL draft, Martin was initially a 210 lb (95 kg) tweener, undersized for a Linebacker and slow for a Safety, but eventually bulked up to 220–225. In1978, his second year, Martin started 8 games, filling in at Inside Linebacker[2] By1979, he settled in at the weak-side LB spot, becoming a mainstay on the Raider defense, assisting the Silver & Black to two Super Bowl victories (1980,1983 seasons) and having an outstanding performance in each one. InSuper Bowl XV, Martin recorded a Super Bowl record three interceptions fromPhiladelphia Eagles quarterbackRon Jaworski, and returned them for 44 yards.[1] His interceptions were not only a Super Bowl record, but they also tied linebackerChuck Howley's record for career Super Bowl interceptions.[3] Among these players, Martin is the only one to record all 3 of his interceptions in one game. InSuper Bowl XVIII, Martin broke up a third down pass on his own 7-yard line in the second quarter, sackedJoe Theismann once, tackledWashington Redskins Hall of Fame running backJohn Riggins for no gain on a fourth down and one conversion attempt deep in Raiders territory on the last play of the third quarter, and recovered a fumble in the final period.[4]
In his 12 NFL seasons, Martin recorded 14 interceptions, which he returned for 225 yards and 4 touchdowns, along with 10 fumble recoveries, which he returned for 122 yards and two touchdowns. He also recorded 33 and a half official sacks (sacks were not an official statistic until 1982, Martin's 5th season).
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Martin has returned to work at USC, where he is a programmer and manager of technical and user support services in theInformation Sciences Institute. Martin has two daughters: Jessica, who played volleyball atBethune-Cookman University, and Jade, a softball player who attendedMorgan State University.
According to the 2003Tampa Bay Devil Rays media guide,Al Martin is a nephew of Rod Martin.[5]