key player in the Patriots' wild card victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He rushed for a then franchise-record 166 yards and three touchdowns including a 78-yard touchdown, the second-longest touchdown run in playoff history at the time. The Patriots went on to play in Super Bowl XXXI, but lost to the Green Bay Packers. Martin rushed for 42 yards, caught three passes for 28 yards, and scored a touchdown in the game. It was at this game that a young Adrian Peterson fell in love with his hero Curtis Martin and vowed to wear the number 28 in his honor. Martin was again named to the Pro Bowl. New York Jets After the 1997 season, Martin became a restricted free agent. On the first day of the free agency period Martin's agent, Eugene Parker, contacted the New York Jets to gauge their interest in potentially signing the running back. Negotiations ensued between Parker and Jets head coach and general manager Bill Parcells and an offer sheet was formulated. Though Martin had reservations about playing in New York and particularly for a division rival, the presence of his former coach Parcells influenced his decision to ultimately join the Jets. On March 20, 1998, Martin signed a six-year, $36-million poison pill contract. The "poison pill" was a clause in the contract that stated Martin would become an unrestricted free agent after one year if the Patriots matched the offer and it would have forced New England to pay a $3.3 million roster bonus that would have compromised their salary cap. Under these conditions, the Patriots did not match the offer; however, they received the Jets' first and third round selections in the 1998 NFL Draft as compensation after filing a complaint with the NFL management council, claiming the offer sheet violated the terms of the league's collective bargaining agreement at the time. In his first seven seasons with the Jets, Martin missed only one game and was selected to the Pro Bowl three times. In 1998, Martin gained 182 yards from scrimmage and scored two touchdowns against the Jacksonville Jaguars in a Jets playoff win. Martin rushed for a season-high 196 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals in the team's home opener, and would rush for over 100 yards eight more times that season, finishing with 1,697 yards. Martin won the NFL rushing title by one more yard than runner-up Shaun Alexander and