The sports world is mourning the sudden death of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin, who passed away at just 36 years old, his family confirmed on Sunday.
Known as the “Muscle Hamster”
“It is with great sadness to inform you all that Doug Martin passed away Saturday morning. Cause of death is currently unconfirmed. Please respect our privacy at this time,” his family said in a statement shared with FOX Sports.
TMZ Sports was first to report Martin’s death, though no cause has been released.
According to the East Bay Times, Doug Martin passed away while in Oakland police custody early Saturday morning.
The newspaper, citing several sources familiar with the investigation, reported that officers were responding to a reported home break-in just after 4:15 a.m. in East Oakland when a “brief struggle” occurred. Martin reportedly became **unresponsive after being taken into custody.”
Martin, affectionately known as the “Muscle Hamster,” was one of the most electrifying players to ever wear a Buccaneers jersey. Drafted 31st overall in 2012 out of Boise State, the California native made an immediate splash in his rookie season — rushing for 1,454 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The running back who could never wait to reach the end zone ran straight into the open arms of Buccaneers fans everywhere.
Fans will never forget his jaw-dropping performance against the Oakland Raiders that year, when he exploded for 251 rushing yards and four touchdowns in a single game. The monster outing helped earn him his first Pro Bowl selection.
Two-time Pro Bowler
Martin went on to become a two-time Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro in 2015, cementing his place among the top backs of the decade. After six seasons with the Buccaneers, he played his final year with the Raiders in 2018, where he racked up another 723 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Over the course of his career, Martin amassed 5,356 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns in 84 games — numbers that tell only part of his story as a hard-working, determined, and humble player loved by teammates and fans alike.
When it came to his famous nickname, “Muscle Hamster,” Doug Martin once revealed that it didn’t even start with him — it started with his girlfriend back at Boise State.
“The name initially was applied not to Martin but to his girlfriend at Boise State,” he explained in a 2012 interview.
“[S]he was a gymnast,” Martin said. “Small, but more cut than I was. My friend [and college teammate] Jarell Root called her a muscle hamster. So I stood up for her, like, ‘Hey, man, she’s not a muscle hamster!’ And he said, ‘You’re a muscle hamster, too.’ So they called us the muscle hamsters.”
Martin’s passing leaves a deep void in the NFL community and among those who watched him turn every carry into a fight for every inch.
💔 Rest in peace, Doug Martin. Gone far too soon, but never forgotten.
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