Cecil Martin

{{Short description|American football player (born 1975)}}

{{for|the Antiguan cricketer|Cecil Martin (cricketer)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Cecil Martin

| image = Cecilmartin.JPG

| caption = Martin in 2012

| number = 38, 37

| position = Fullback

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|7|8}}

| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 0

| weight_lbs = 235

| high_school = Evanston (IL)

| college = Wisconsin

| draftyear = 1999

| draftround = 6

| draftpick = 172

| pastteams = * Philadelphia Eagles ({{NFL Year|1999}}–{{NFL Year|2002}})

| highlights =

| statlabel1 = Rushing yards

| statvalue1 = 103

| statlabel2 = Rushing average

| statvalue2 = 4.0

| statlabel3 = Receptions

| statvalue3 = 81

| statlabel4 = Receiving yards

| statvalue4 = 491

| statlabel5 = Receiving touchdowns

| statvalue5 = 2

| pfr = MartCe00

}}

Danyel Cecil Martin (born July 8, 1975) is an American former professional football fullback in the National Football League (NFL).

Early life

Martin was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 8, 1975. He attended Evanston Township High School in Illinois before going on to play college football at the University of Wisconsin–Madison for the Wisconsin Badgers between 1995 and 1999, appearing in the 1996 Copper Bowl, 1998 Outback Bowl and 1999 Rose Bowl, winning in 1996 and 1999.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/cecil-martin-1.html|title=Cecil Martin College Stats {{!}} College Football at Sports-Reference.com|website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com|language=en|access-date=2017-09-14}} Martin is also a brother of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.

Professional career

He was selected in the sixth round of the 1999 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.{{Cite web |title=1999 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1999/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-29 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} Martin soon became a starter for the Eagles. Martin's two career touchdowns came in the same game, twice receiving from Donovan McNabb in a 17-20 loss against the St. Louis Rams during the 2001 season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MartCe00/touchdowns/|title=Cecil Martin Career Touchdown Log {{!}} Pro-Football-Reference.com|website=Pro-Football-Reference.com|language=en|access-date=2017-09-14}} Cecil left the Eagles at the end of the 2002 season. Martin was an ever-present in the Eagles 2000, 2001 and 2002 campaigns, all three ending in the team qualifying for the playoffs. In the 2003 off season, Martin signed on the practice team for the Oakland Raiders. He was later cut and picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for whom he appeared in one game in 2003, a 13-33 loss to the Tennessee Titans in week 16. Martin retired from professional football having played 61 regular season and 7 post season games across his 5 seasons in the game.

Retirement

Currently, Martin works with high school student-athletes across the country educating them on the college recruiting process as an Educational Speaker for the National Collegiate Scouting Association. Martin also often appears on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom as a studio analyst for their NFL programming.

Throughout 2013 and 2014, Martin toured the United Kingdom's American football teams to help promote and grow the sport in the country.{{Cite news|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/nfl-star-cecil-martin-thrills-4017898|title=NFL star Cecil Martin thrills East Kilbride Pirates players at Hamilton Rugby Club during UK tour|last=McGilvray|first=Andy|date=2014-08-08|work=dailyrecord|access-date=2017-09-14}}

Martin suffers from Bell's palsy, which affects the left side of his face.

References