Curtis James Martin Jr. (born May 1, 1973) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the New York Jets. He spent his first three seasons with the New England Patriots, who selected him in the third round of the 1995 NFL Draft, and was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Martin joined the Jets in 1998, where he spent nine seasons before retiring after the 2006 season. A five-time Pro Bowl selection and a first-team All-Pro, Martin is sixth in total NFL rushing yards. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012. Martin is often regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time. Early years Curtis Jr. was born to Rochella Dixon and Curtis Sr. on May 1, 1973. Curtis Sr. left the family in 1978 after turning to drugs and alcohol, leaving Curtis's mother to support the family by working three jobs. During his youth, Curtis often moved around the various neighborhoods of Pittsburgh and was consistently surrounded by violence. His grandmother, Eleanor Johnson, was found murdered with a knife in her chest; at age 15, Martin had a near-death experience when the trigger of a loaded gun pointed at his head was pulled seven times, but never fired. He and his mother settled in Point Breeze prior to his sophomore year of high school. He began attending Taylor Allderdice High School which was known for its highly regarded academic reputation. He played basketball as a sophomore, but did not participate in any sports during his junior year. At the insistence of his mother, who wanted him to participate in an extracurricular activity as a way to keep him away from crime and violence, Curtis began to play football during his senior year, despite having never cared much for the sport. Martin was considered a natural athlete, according to former head coach Mark Wittgartner and became an immediate star on the football team. He played at the running back and linebacker positions. He also played on special teams and occasionally at quarterback. He ran for 1,705 yards and scored 20 touchdowns in his lone season of high school football. Martin graduated from Allderdice in 1991 and was inducted into their alumni hall of fame in 2011. Martin's performance at Allderdice attracted the attention of the University of Pittsburgh's