Former Buccaneers running back Doug Martin sadly passed away on October 19 at the young age of 36, as reported by TMZ. A source with direct knowledge confirmed to TMZ that Martin had recently passed away, though they did not share any further details.
Remembering the Great Doug Martin & His Impressive Career
Martin was a former professional American football player, who was a running back for seven seasons in the NFL. Martin, affectionately known by his fans as “Muscle Hamster,” played college football for the Boise State Broncos and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft.
Martin played six seasons in Tampa Bay, where earned two Pro Bowl selections and a first-team All-Pro honor in 2015. His career ended in the 2018-2019 season with the then Oakland Raiders.
In his seven seasons with the NFL, Martin rushed for 5,356 yards and ran in 30 touchdowns. He racked up 1,207 receiving yards and a pair of receiving touchdowns.
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Mike Ehrmann/Getty ImagesNFL Fans Share Their Tributes Online
TMZ shared a post about Martin’s passing on their Instagram. Fans of the former NFL player poured their hearts out in the comment section.
One fan wrote, “Sending my condolences to the family.”
Another fan shared a personal and touching story they had of Martin. “The last thing I needed to see today. I loved me some Doug Martin. Wren I was stationed at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa he came on base and signed autographs and I got to meet him. He was so nice… this breaks my heart 💔”
A few people lamented over the fact that Martin passed away at such a young age. “He was still young…R.I.P Dougie” And another comment echoed the same sentiment. “Damn bro. So sad man. He was still young…Rest up King.”
Someone else claimed, “so sad. I was his PE teacher when he was 5th/6th grade at a private school. He was a phenomenal athlete since that age.”
Underneath a post from the account Football Forever, another NFL fan wrote, “RIP “the muscle hamster” 💔😢”
Denver Broncos’ running back Devontae Jackson posted a simple emoji to convey his feelings, “😢.”
Another victim of the jab but no 👎 media willing to expose it. Just heads in the sand.