Former NFL star and Boise State legend Doug Martin has died at the age of 36, his family announced Sunday.“It is with great sadness to inform you all that Doug Martin passed away Saturday morning. Cause of death is currently unconfirmed. Please respect our privacy at this time,” his family said in a statement provided to FOX.
TMZ and FOX both confirmed the tragic news with people close to the former All-Pro running back.According to the East Bay Times, Martin died while in Oakland police custody early Saturday morning. Citing multiple sources familiar with the incident, the paper reported that police were responding to a home break-in in East Oakland just after 4:15 a.m. when a “brief struggle” occurred and Martin became unresponsive after being taken into custody.
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Officers were called to a residence on the 11000 block of Ettrick Street, near the Oakland Zoo, and “simultaneously” received a report that the suspected burglar was experiencing a “medical emergency,” the department said in a statement cited by the outlet.
After the confrontation, police said the person in custody — later identified as Martin — became unresponsive. Paramedics treated him at the scene before transporting him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the Times.
The Alameda County coroner’s office has not yet officially released his name. Officers involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave, and multiple agencies — including Oakland police homicide and internal affairs, the civilian police commission, and the district attorney’s office — are investigating, as is standard in in-custody deaths.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where Martin spent most of his NFL career, released a statement mourning his loss: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the sudden and unexpected passing of Doug Martin. From his record-setting rookie season in 2012 to his multiple Pro Bowl selections during his six seasons as a Buccaneer, Doug made a lasting impact on our franchise.”
Martin, nicknamed the “Muscle Hamster,” was drafted 31st overall by Tampa Bay in 2012 and became an instant star — racking up 1,454 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns as a rookie and earning Pro Bowl and All-Rookie honors.
Though injuries plagued much of his career, Martin returned to form in 2015 with another 1,400-yard campaign that earned him first-team All-Pro recognition and a second trip to the Pro Bowl. He ranks fourth on Tampa Bay’s all-time rushing list with 4,633 yards and third in rushing touchdowns with 26.
Martin closed out his seven-year NFL career with the Oakland Raiders in 2018.
Before turning pro, Martin was a standout at Boise State, rushing for 3,431 yards and 43 touchdowns between 2007 and 2011 — good for eighth and sixth all-time in program history.
Martin is one of a number of former NFL stars who have passed away this year. In September alone, former Packers lineman Bill Ferrario died just days after his 47th birthday, and ex-Bengals star Rudi Johnson passed away at 45 after a reported struggle with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
