Mike Martin (wide receiver)
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | November 18, 1960 Washington D.C., U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 186 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Eastern (Washington D.C.) | ||||||||
| College: | Illinois | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1983 / Round: 8 / Pick: 221 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Mike Martin (born November 18, 1960) is a former American football wide receiver who played professionally for seven seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League (NFL).
Early life[edit]
Martin grew up in Washington, D.C.,[1] and attended Eastern High School.[2]
College career[edit]
Martin played football at the University of Illinois, where during his senior year he caught a record 77 receptions for 1,068 yards.[3] In four years for the Fighting Illini, he caught 143 passes for 2,300 yards (a 16.1 average) with 15 touchdowns. He also returned punts and kicoffs.[4]
As of the beginning of the Fighting Illini's 2022 season, Martin ranks fourth all-time in single-season receptions (77), ninth in career receptions (143), fifth in career receiving yardage (2,300), and tied for fourth in single-game receptions with 12 against Ohio State in 1982.[4]
NFL[edit]
Martin was chosen by the Bengals in the eighth round of the 1983 NFL Draft. In his seven seasons, he caught 67 passes for 1,017 yards (a 15.1 average) with 6 receiving touchdowns, with his most productive receiving year 1987 with 20 receptions for 394 yards.[5] He returned 140 punts for 1,381 yards (a 9.9 average), including a league-leading 15.7 yards per return in 1983. He also returned 75 kicks for 1,643 yards, a 21.9 average.
He was a member of the Bengals' team which went to the 1989 Super Bowl, won by the San Francisco 49ers, 20–16.[5] Martin did not play, as his season ended with an injury in the season's 6th game.[6]
Coaching[edit]
After his playing career ended, Martin operated several night clubs in the Cincinnati area.[3] In 2002, Martin was named coach of Taft High School in Cincinnati, tapped to revive a program which had been disbanded due to lack of student participation.[7] He coached the Senators for eight years, compiling a record of 44–28.[8]
Personal life[edit]
Martin met his wife, Michelle, at Illinois where she was cheerleader. They married in 1986.[3] They currently live in Chicago, where his family including daughter Morgan owns several smoothie bars and a fitness facility.
Martin is vice president of the Marcus Martin Foundation, named for his late son, who died at from a pulmonary embolism at age 25 in 2014. The foundation provides financial support for college-bound high school students, conducts free youth football camps, and educates about the dangers of pulmonary embolism.[6]
References[edit]
- ^ Intern, BAPA (2022-02-01). "NFL's Mike Martin Launches Football Program for Kids". Beverly Area Planning Association. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
- ^ Kaplow, Bob (1988-07-14). "STARS WILL BE OUT AT EASTERN". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
- ^ a b c "Illini, Football and Family Provides Legacy for Martins". University of Illinois Athletics. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
- ^ a b "2022 Football Record Book - Records" (PDF).
- ^ a b "Mike Martin Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
- ^ a b Bass, Mike. "Column: At 60, former Bengal player, Taft coach Mike Martin savors Cincinnati memories". The Enquirer. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
- ^ "Former Bengal trying to resurrect Taft team". The Tribune. 2002-08-26. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
- ^ "Coach History - Taft Senators Football (Cincinnati, OH)". www.maxpreps.com. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
- 1960 births
- Living people
- American football return specialists
- American football wide receivers
- Cincinnati Bengals players
- Illinois Fighting Illini football players
- High school football coaches in Ohio
- Eastern High School (Washington, D.C.) alumni
- Coaches of American football from Washington, D.C.
- Players of American football from Washington, D.C.