Vaughn Martin

{{Short description|Jamaica-born American football player (born 1986)}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Vaughn Martin

| image = Vaughn Martin.JPG

| caption = Martin with the San Diego Chargers in Jan. 2011

| current_team =

| number = 92, 90, 72

| position = Defensive tackle

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|4|18}}

| birth_place = Lucea, Hanover, Jamaica

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 4

| weight_lbs = 297

| high_school = London (ON) South Secondary

| cis = Western Ontario

| draftyear = 2009

| draftround = 4

| draftpick = 113

| cfldraftyear = 2011

| cfldraftround = 5

| cfldraftpick = 39

| pastteams = * San Diego Chargers ({{NFL Year|2009}}–{{NFL Year|2012}})

Miami Dolphins ({{NFL Year|2013}})
Detroit Lions ({{NFL Year|2014}})*
Kansas City Chiefs ({{NFL Year|2015}})*
Montreal Alouettes ({{CFL Year|2016}})

| status =

| cflstatus =

| statlabel1 = Total tackles

| statvalue1 = 79

| statlabel2 = Sacks

| statvalue2 = 3.0

| statlabel3 = Forced fumbles

| statvalue3 = 1

| pfr = MartVa99

}}

Vaughn Martin (born April 18, 1986) is a Jamaican-born Canadian former professional football defensive tackle. He was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL draft, the first Canadian university football player drafted by an NFL team as an underclassman. He played university football at the University of Western Ontario.

Early life

Martin was born in Jamaica and raised in Toronto and London, Ontario. He attended London South Collegiate Institute, playing football for head coach Chris Marcus, and later Mike Stenning.{{Cite web |title=South Alumni Newsletter Fall 2009 |url=http://southalumni.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Fall-2009-Newsletter.pdf |website=South Alumni}} He also attended The Kiski School under coach Marcus Muster for a short time before transferring. He competed as a linebacker, defensive end, defensive tackle and fullback in high school, recording 90 tackles with five stops behind the line of scrimmage in 2004. The three-time starter was rated one of the top 12 defensive ends in Ontario by All-Star Football and Weir's Magazine. He also received a two-star prospect rating from Rivals.com.{{cite web | title=Vaughn Martin Profile | url=https://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=46821&sport=1 | work=Rivals.com | access-date=April 29, 2009 }}

Prior to beginning his collegiate career, Martin competed for two summers with the Forest City Thunderbirds in the Central Ontario Football League. He also was a member of Team Canada, playing in the 2006 NFL Global Junior Championship in Detroit. He was named to the NFL Global Junior Championship X All-Tournament Team after helping Team Canada to a perfect 5-0 record, including five shutouts.

University career

Martin turned down scholarship offers from the University of Toledo, the University at Buffalo, and Ohio University to enroll at Michigan State University in 2006, but failed to qualify due to academic transcript issues. He then enrolled at Milford Academy, a preparatory school in New York. He later returned home to Ontario, where University of Western Ontario assistant coach Mickey Donovan along with special teams coach Chris Marcus — Vaughn's high-school coach and mentor — convinced him to enroll.

Martin joined the Western Ontario Mustangs football team and saw action at defensive tackle and end during his first season. In 2008, Martin performed mostly at defensive tackle earlier in the year, but he also at defensive end. In 12 games, he collected 36 tackles (22 solos) with 3.5 sacks, 7.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage and 13 pressures. He returned an interception for a touchdown, registered a safety, caused a fumble and recovered two others. He also played fullback, where he scored twice on a pair of 3-yard rushing attempts, finishing with 10 yards on four carries.

Professional career

=Pre-draft=

Martin was not invited to the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine, but impressed several pro scouts in the spring of 2009 when he participated at the University of Michigan's Pro Day, where he ran a 4.96 second 40-yard dash at 330 pounds. He also set the 2009 draft class bench press record, lifting 225 pounds 44 times.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/draft/2009/profiles/vaughn-martin?id=90404|title = Vaughn Martin Stats, News and Video - DT}}

=San Diego Chargers=

Martin became the first CIS football player drafted as an underclassman when he was picked in the fourth round, 113th overall, by the San Diego Chargers in the 2009 NFL draft.{{Cite web |title=2009 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2009/draft.htm |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} Martin signed a four-year contract with the Chargers in July 2009.{{cite news| url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/former-uwo-lineman-signs-deal-with-chargers/article1231213/ | location=Toronto | work=The Globe and Mail | title=Former UWO lineman signs deal with Chargers | date=July 27, 2009}} Athletic and intelligent—he scored an impressive 38 on the NFL's Wonderlic Test—scouts also report that he has the bulk, strength, and agility to become a nose tackle like Jamal Williams.{{cite news|url=http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2009/08/03/sports/nelson/z412f9bfe21e17b3f88257608000d7596.txt|title=No hockey puck: Chargers' Martin making transition from Western Ontario to NFL|last=Nelson|first=Lorne|date=August 3, 2009|newspaper=The North County Times|access-date=August 4, 2009}} He recorded his first career sack on November 22, 2010, against the Denver Broncos, sacking quarterback Kyle Orton.

On May 8, 2011, the Montreal Alouettes selected Vaughn Martin in the 5th round of the 2011 CFL Draft. His rights belonged to the Alouettes if Martin choose to pursue a career in the CFL.

=Miami Dolphins=

Martin signed with the Miami Dolphins as a free agent on March 28, 2013.[http://www.miamidolphins.com/news/article-1/Dolphins-Sign-DL-Vaughn-Martin/a3023327-cc0e-4d7a-8d33-5e07ef5b0645e Dolphins Sign DL Vaughn Martin] On November 8, 2013, he was released.{{cite web | title=Dolphins waived DT Vaughn Martin with an injury settlement | work= Rotoworld.com | url=http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/5346/vaughn-martin |access-date=November 9, 2013}}

=Detroit Lions=

Martin signed with the Detroit Lions on March 13, 2014.[http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/03/13/vaughn-martin-signs-with-lions/ Vaughn Martin signs with Lions] He was released on June 2, 2014.{{cite news| title=Lions release Vaughn Martin| url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/06/02/lions-release-vaughn-martin}}/

=Kansas City Chiefs=

Martin signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in February 2015. He was released on August 30, 2015.

=Montreal Alouettes=

Martin signed a two-year contract with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League on February 10, 2016. Martin played in seven games during the 2016 CFL season before being released in August, about halfway through the season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/2016/08/17/report-alouettes-release-vaughn-martin/|title=Report: Alouettes release Vaughn Martin|date=August 17, 2016|website=CFL.ca|access-date=August 19, 2016}}

References

External links

[http://www.detroitlions.com/team/roster/Vaughn-Martin/576fe785-7927-47e9-8197-189488b4fdce Detroit Lions bio]
[http://www.chargers.com/team/roster/Vaughn-Martin/5d8467d6-1195-4bf0-84d6-44142aac2265 San Diego Chargers bio]

Category:1987 births

Category:Living people

Category:Jamaican emigrants to Canada

Category:Jamaican players of Canadian football

Category:Players of Canadian football from Ontario

Category:Canadian football people from London, Ontario

Category:Jamaican players of American football

Category:Black Canadian players of American football

Category:Canadian players of American football

Category:Black Canadian sportsmen

Category:American football defensive tackles

Category:American football defensive ends