Former Boise State University and NFL running back Doug Martin died over the weekend.
The details regarding his unexpected death, which occurred while he was in police custody, and what led up to it have continued to emerge, with Martin’s family and the Oakland Police Department shedding some light on that information over the past few days.
But a more complete picture of the former All-Pro’s troubles and his post-retirement circumstances has incrementally come into sharper view even as further questions about him continue to percolate.
Here’s what we currently know – and also what we don’t – about Martin prior to his sudden passing:
Did Doug Martin have mental health issues?
The agency Athletes First and its CEO, Brian Murphy, who represented Martin during his NFL career, released a statement Monday evening on behalf of Martin’s family.
‘Privately, Doug battled mental health challenges that profoundly impacted his personal and professional life. Ultimately, mental illness proved to be the one opponent from which Doug could not run,’ read the release.
‘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 during 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.’
According to a police report obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle, Martin descended into a psychotic episode while at a Northern California rehabilitation center in August. He was placed on a 72-hour psychiatric hold after jumping out of a second-story window at the facility.
How did police characterize Martin’s death?
‘Prior to his death, Martin was involved in a break-in at a residence in Oakland,’ the Oakland Police Department revealed Monday. ‘While responding officers were attempting to detain him, a brief struggle occurred. After being taken into custody, Martin became unresponsive.’
He died thereafter, approximately 4:15 a.m. local time Saturday.
Did Doug Martin use drugs?
He tested positive for cocaine and methamphetamine after checking into the rehab center two months ago, per the Chronicle’s report, which also stated Martin was in possession of fentanyl and a hunting knife at the time. Martin apparently left the center multiple times without permission but returned shortly thereafter and tested positive for cocaine again.
No toxicology report has become available since Martin died.
Did Doug Martin have CTE?
Currently, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a condition caused by repeated head trauma, can only be diagnosed post-mortem once a brain autopsy takes place. Countless former football players have suffered from CTE, which can dramatically impact a person’s moods and behavior. Martin’s brain is being preserved for study, according to The Mercury News.
What was Doug Martin’s cause of death?
The reason he died has not yet been publicly disclosed.
What did former Pro Bowl teammate say about Doug Martin?
“Doug loved to dance. He loved to tell jokes. He loved to have a great time,” former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, a teammate of Martin’s with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, told The Athletic while expounding on the challenges NFL players face following their careers.
“Your identity has been tied to this game, and you find out after you’re done playing, you don’t even know who you are as a person. You get lost. That’s where you see the depression, that’s where you see the substance abuse, that’s where you see people start making all these bad decisions.
“I just want people to understand it’s tougher on us when we’re done playing than you guys think,” continued McCoy, now an NFL Network analyst. “It may seem like it’s all glamorous. ‘Look at the life you got to live.’ Yeah, but mental illness is a real thing, and people struggle mentally after playing this game. It ain’t just football, it’s pro sports, period.
“Nothing can give you that high. So when it’s gone, the cheers are gone, the competition is gone, the routine is gone. You get in this lost space, and it happens to a lot of athletes, man, and I just hope that that wasn’t what happened to Doug.”
How old was Doug Martin?
He was 36 at the time of his death.
Which teams did Doug Martin play for?
A first-round draft pick out of Boise State in 2012, Martin, dubbed the ‘Muscle Hamster’ (a nickname he hated), played most of his NFL career with the Bucs. A two-time Pro Bowler, he rushed for more than 1,400 yards in 2012 and 2015. He spent his final professional campaign in 2018 with the Oakland Raiders, who cut him before the 2019 season.