Ode to Curtis

For some of us yesterday was just another Thursday. For me however, my favorite player in the NFL retired. For a year now it's felt like just a matter of time. Martin was never able to recover from the knee surgery that left him bone on bone. Martin was perhaps the most under the radar first ball Hall of Famer of all time.

Consider this:
He rushed for 1,000 yards in each of his first 10 seasons. (only Barry Sanders did this)
He is 4th All Time in rushing only behind Smith, Payton and Sanders

I mean this is a legend we're talking about, yet his retirement barely sent a ripple through the sports community. In a time where ref scandals, steroids and Vick get all the headlines, this should have been a celebratory moment. But this is the way Martin has always been. He doesn't salute first downs, and he doesn't do end zone celebrations. Many people say they put the team first, this man embodied it.

If you took all the great running backs and even the not so great ones, and put them through the combine there is no doubt in my mind Curtis would once again be overshadowed. He did not have blazing speed nor an overpowering style. He was a workhorse. A relentless runner, who did not take any carry's off.

An interview with Parcells yesterday however showed me that Martin's on the field class is merely a reflection of how he lives his life off of it. He came from as rough a background as anyone growing up in Pittsburgh, and said he had to make sacrifices in order to get to where he is today.

There is no one season of Martin's that will blow you away. He only had one rushing title. He made 5 Pro Bowls. But when you step back and look at the level this man brought it every single year you start to respect more what he did. Just off the top of my head, you have Alexander, who had an unbelievable season, only to break a foot in the next. You had Priest Holmes with an unbelievable year, but then broke down the next. Martin maintained a level of excellence matched by just a few.

His workmanlike approach, his grind it out, move the chains, get you 3 yards when you need 3, get you 4 if you need 4... this is what made him so special in the eyes of Jets fans. He will be missed for who knows how long. I hope the Jets do the right thing and retire #28.