The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost one of the best offensive players in franchise history on Sunday afternoon, as it was confirmed that former first-round pick and Pro Bowl running back Doug Martin has passed away at age 36. The cause of death remains unknown to this point.
In remembrance of Martin, Buccaneers great Gerald McCoy posted a very somber reminder of how fragile life can be sometimes. McCoy noted that Martin's passing has now made him the fifth former Buccaneers teammate that he has lost far too soon.
Martin became the fourth member of the 2013 Buccaneers to pass away before the age of 40. Daniel Te'o-Nesheim died in at age 30, Mike Williams passed in 2023 at age 36 due to complications from a worksite accident, and Vincent Jackson died in 2021 at age 38. McCoy is also speaking of linebacker Geno Hayes, who passed away in 2021 at age 33 due to chronic liver disease.
Buccaneers legend Gerald McCoy honors Doug Martin after RB passes away at 36
The man they called "Muscle Hamster" made two Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team in his seven-season career, six of which were spent with the Bucs. Martin's best two seasons came in his rookie year (2012), and 2015, both of which saw him run for over 1,400 yards in both of those campaigns.
The former Boise State star finished his six-season stint with the Bucs with 5,724 yards from scrimmage (4,633 rushing) with 28 touchdowns (26 rushing) despite often playing with subpar coaching. When the offense was built around him, Martin was a consistent and impactful runner.
Martin ranks third in Buccaneers history in rushing yards, trailing only Warrick Dunn, Mike Alstott, and James Wilder. Martin is also third in rushing touchdowns behind Alstott and Wilder. Martin owns two of the three top rushing seasons in Buccaneers franchise history.
Martin's untimely passing is nothing short of a gut punch to everyone associated with the Buccaneers as an organization. Our best wishes and condolences go out to the Martin family and anyone else who was close to him during this very difficult period.