Tuesday, October 21, 2025 - Former National Football League (NFL) running back, Doug Martin, has died aged 36 while in police custody in California.
The Oakland Police Department said the former American
football star, who spent most of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, died
after being involved in an alleged home break-in and a struggle with officers
on Saturday.
"While attempting to detain the individual, a brief
struggle ensued," the department said, adding Martin became unresponsive
and was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
His family announced his passing and said his cause of death
was "unconfirmed".
"It is with great sadness to inform you all that Doug
Martin passed away Saturday morning," his family told US media. The family
asked for "privacy at this time".
In a statement, Martin's former team, the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers, said they were "deeply saddened to learn of the sudden and
unexpected passing of Doug Martin".
"From his record-setting rookie season in 2012 to his
multiple Pro Bowl selections during his six seasons as a Buccaneer, Doug made a
lasting impact on our franchise," the team added.
Born in Oakland, California, Martin was Tampa Bay's
first-round pick in the 2012 NFL draft. During his first season, Martin rushed
for 1,454 yards and scored 11 touchdowns.
Martin spent six of his seven NFL seasons playing for the
Buccaneers, and was nicknamed the "Muscle Hamster" because of his
high strength despite being relatively short for a professional player at 5ft
9in (1.75m) tall.
But he struggled with injuries and was also suspended in
2016 for four games for violating the NFL's drug policy, after testing positive
for a banned substance. He apologised and went to a drug treatment facility.
Martin spent his final season with the Oakland Raiders, who
are now based in Las Vegas, in 2018.
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