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SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER 201 3
were spent playing for the Buffalo
Bills in Buffalo, NewYork.
’ÄúI was very fortunate and very
humbled to have played in the NFL
for 11 years,’Äù says Martin.’ÄúEspecially
switching positions, and playing at
a high level at that position for that
many years’Äîit’Äôs something that
I never thought would happen.’Äù Mar-
tin knew that the average career in
the NFL stands at only three years’Äî
and players joked that NFL stood for
’ÄúNot For Long.’Äù
OnceaVol,
AlwaysaVol
Last December, Martin realized
another longtime goal: in December
2012, at the age of 33, he became the
first person in his family to earn a
college degree. In the spring of 2011,
an NFL lockout year, he took the
plunge and returned to school, tak-
ing advantage of UT’Äôs Renewing Aca-
demic Commitment (RAC) program,
which assists athletes returning to
finish their degrees.
’ÄúI only needed 12 hours when I
left, one semester,’Äù says Martin.
’ÄúWhen I got back, they said the
curriculumhad changed, and, long
story short, I needed 39 hours. I al-
most turned around and walked out
the door. But my parents taught me
not to quit’Äîand I wanted my kids to
see me walk across that stage.’Äù With
a few breaks to play ball, Martin fin-
ished his final three semesters and
proudly accepted his diploma with
his wife and sons looking on.
Now, back in Knoxville full time,
Martin is facing life post-football.
He doesn’Äôt miss football at the mo-
ment, and he’Äôs enjoying the first
August he’Äôs had free inmore than 15
years. But when leather touches the
field this fall, he says, he’Äôll prob-
ably feel a twinge to not be there
on the field with his teammates.
Martin, though, isn’Äôt looking back.
Watching football on TV, attending
Vols games, and a thriving Fantasy
Football team fulfill his love of the
game, while he and his family have
new pursuits.
Martin recently accepted the
position of Director of Communica-
tions and Community Relations
at Independent Insurance Consul-
tants, which offers life and health
insurance, as well as Medicare as-
sistance. He welcomes the opportu-
nity, he says, to help other families
prepare for the future. Office life, in
the meantime, is a welcome relief
after a fewmonths of inactivity that
followed his retirement. His wife
is working part-time, as well, to
get a break from the house, while
his sons will be entering fifth and
first grade at Rocky Hill Elementary
School this fall.
Life after sports is difficult for
many athletes, and the Martins
will no doubt have many challenges
ahead. For now, however, they are
looking forward to a new life in their
old home of Knoxville, Tennessee.
Martin has enjoyed the transition from the
field to the office. He is currently the Director
of Communications and Community Rela-
tions at Independent Insurance Consultants.
Martin was a member
of the 1998 National
Championship team.
Photo courtesy of
DavidMartin
Photo courtesy of
DavidMartin