Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin died after an incident with police officers that were taking him into custody in Oakland on Saturday morning, officials confirmed on Monday.
Martin, police said, was involved in a break-in early on Saturday. A “brief struggle” occurred as police were attempting to detain him, and then they said that he became unresponsive shortly after being arrested. He was transported to a local hospital, where he later died. He was 36.
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Martin’s agent, Brian Murphy, released a statement on Monday night confirming that Martin had been dealing with mental health issues and his family was seeking assistance for him when the incident occurred on Saturday.
“Privately, Doug battled mental health challenges that profoundly impacted his personal and professional life,” Murphy said, in part. “Ultimately, mental illness proved to be the one opponent from which Doug could not run.
“Following recent media reports about Doug’s untimely passing, the family wishes to clarify the circumstances. Doug’s parents were actively seeking medical assistance for him and had contacted local authorities for support. Feeling overwhelmed and disoriented, Doug fled his home in the middle of the night and entered a neighbor’s residence two doors down, where he was taken into custody by police. An investigation into what transpired as he was detained is underway.”
The Buccaneers, Las Vegas Raiders and Boise State both put out statements remembering Martin later on Sunday afternoon.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the sudden and unexpected passing of Doug Martin,” the Buccaneers said. “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. He was a fan favorite during his time in Tampa Bay and was honored as one of the Top 50 Buccaneers of all time for his numerous achievements.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and everyone whom Doug touched throughout his life.”
Martin spent seven seasons in the NFL, all but one of which were with the Buccaneers after they selected him with the No. 31 overall draft pick out of Boise State in 2012. He dominated with the Broncos, and played a big role on their 2009 team that went undefeated and won the Fiesta Bowl. Martin racked up back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons to close out his college career.
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In total, the “Muscle Hamster” had 17 100-yard games in his college career and finished with 3,431 rushing yards, which still ranks in the top-10 all-time at Boise State. The Broncos were consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally and went a wild 50-3 in his four seasons there under head coach Chris Petersen.
Once in the league, Martin had his best season right out of the gate. He had 1,454 yards and 12 total touchdowns as a rookie, both of which were career-highs. Martin was limited due to injuries for big chunks of his career, but he had another 1,400-yard campaign in 2015. That helped him ink a long contract extension with the team, but that fell apart and he was released two seasons later after he was suspended for a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy.
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He eventually signed with the Oakland Raiders for one final season in 2018 and teamed up with Marshawn Lynch in the backfield before retiring. In total, he had 5,356 yards and 32 total touchdowns over 84 games.
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