This past weekend, the National Football League (NFL) lost a great running back and friend in Doug Martin. His death has been one of the toughest that I could ever deal with, whereas it had me think about the future.
The first time I met Doug was on May 17, 2015, while playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in Shreveport, Louisiana, at the Mudbug Madness. One of the sports writers for the Shreveport Times was trying to get an interview with Martin, but he declined to speak with him. The moment that he saw me changed my entire life. Martin felt comfortable talking to me based on his trust and reliance on who I was, and that’s not just being a sports reporter.
Our friendship was truly one of a kind, based on our talks. Doug truly cared about my three daughters, including my oldest, Danielle. Although we are Dallas Cowboys fans, Tampa had a game in 2016 in which he would give us tickets in the suites with his family, at which we all had a great time. I did not care about wins and losses from the game; the proudest moment was that Doug got the chance to show my three daughters how to throw a football with his kids.
When I got the call about Doug’s death this past Sunday morning from one of our friends, I had to wake my two oldest daughters to come to my apartment complex and wake up my youngest to talk to them. I had to explain to them what happened, and the moment that it came out of my mouth, my oldest daughter screamed so loud that it made my heart drop to my stomach. The tears that floated down Danielle’s face will be something that I cannot get off my mind. My second daughter, Aaliyah, would always wear a Boise State jersey and stated that she wanted to be Doug Martin. She gave her sister a hug that showed their closeness to whom they called “Uncle Doug.”
A product star at Boise State, Martin was known as “Muscle Hamster” while guiding the Broncos to four straight Mountain West conference championships. In four seasons, Martin rushed for 3,431 yards on 617 carries with 43 touchdowns. One of my favorite games to watch Martin was on October 26, 2010, as he rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns in their win over Louisiana Tech.
Danielle and Aaliyah would never miss watching a Boise State game while wearing the number 22 jersey. The moment that they met him at Mudbug Madness in 2015 will be a memory that they will never forget.
Doug used to tell me about life outside of football and how much he wanted to make an impact on kids for the future.
“Football is going to be around for a long time,” Martin stated to me after his retirement with the Raiders in 2019. “The one thing that we cannot forget is how much friendship means when you are around good people in life.”
That statement, while he and I were fishing in Seabrook next to my uncle’s place, had me smiling to know that we had a great friendship. The cherished memory that got me to like Martin more was not about the fancy cars and the lifestyle that he was living; he stated that he felt at peace to know that he got the chance to see my two daughters graduate from high school and college. Then he was a part of their weddings, and being a part of our family made the difference for the future.
His death especially touched me to know that he was like a brother who loved my three girls like they were his. The last time that I spoke with Doug was a year ago, when I asked him about how much he missed the game of football.
“Man, I truly love playing so much at Boise State, along with the NFL, and how much it impacted my life,” Martin stated on FaceTime. “My proudest moment was the moment that I saw your daughter Aaliyah run in the LHSAA state track championship during her senior year at Evangel Christian Academy in the 100 and 200 meters and win state. The training that you and I put together to see her perform at practice paid off with how she got the chance to win state in the Class 5A level and getting that scholarship to the University of Miami.”
I will always keep Doug in my heart and mind so that I will be hoping that whatever the mental health states about his death, we can keep his family in our prayers.
Photo source: Keith Allison, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
