Zero2Cool
14 years ago
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[img_r]http://i.packers.com/images/action/100330martind215.jpg[/img_r]Anyone who has walked by Packers special teams standout Derrick Martin, whether it be on the field or in the locker room, knows one thing about him.

He's not shy.

One of the more ebullient personalities on the Green Bay roster, Martin is almost always engaged in a conversation, if not multiple ones, chatting seriously about something in one direction while throwing playful trash talk in another.

So after a productive first season with the Packers in 2009 that saw him become one of the special teams leaders with 21 coverage tackles, it's no surprise the 5-foot-10, 198-pound fireplug isn't shying away from setting some lofty goals for 2010.

"To get at least 35 tackles," Martin said, rather matter-of-factly. "I don't think that's too far-fetched. You get two, three tackles a game and you're right on target. So that's my goal."

Never mind that 35 special teams tackles would tie the franchise record held by current director of college scouting John Dorsey. The stat has been kept since 1976, and only two players in team history have reached 30 in a season - Dorsey (35 in 1984, 30 in 1985) and Guy Prather (34 in 1981) - so Martin's target is ambitious any way you look at it.

But glance at the videotape from last season's game in Pittsburgh, and it's easy to see why Martin feels that number is totally realistic in special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum's scheme.

In that Week 15 contest, Martin ran down Steelers punt returner Stefan Logan after a 12-yard return on the game's first punt, tackled kick returner Joe Burnett after just a 10-yard runback following the Packers' first touchdown, and flew across the field to knock Logan out of bounds after a 9-yard return that appeared headed for much more down the near sideline. And all that was in just the first quarter.

Martin finished with five special teams tackles on the day, the highest single-game total on the season by a Green Bay player. What was the secret? The former Baltimore Raven, traded to the Packers on roster-reduction day following the final '09 preseason game last summer, just smiled.

"When I was in Baltimore, that was the team we hated," Martin said, referring to Pittsburgh. "I was able to watch a lot of film on them. They weren't blocking me. They had different keys, and (Coach) Slocum did a good job setting me up, putting me in different places where they really weren't expecting me to be."

But the expectations are certainly there now for Martin, whose performance on special teams prompted the team following the season to offer him a contract extension, which he signed in late February.

It will be worth watching what Martin can do in 2010 after a full offseason and training camp in Green Bay, background with Slocum and the playbook that he didn't have last season due to the Sept. 5 trade.

He was able to make an impact on special teams immediately anyway, though, posting three coverage tackles in his first two games, and he went on from there to post two three-tackle outings, plus the big game in Pittsburgh.

"It just worked for me," Martin said of how he caught on so quickly. "I'm a high-activity player, I'm always ready to fly to the ball, things of that sort. I kind of just fit into the scheme that Slocum had, and I think that's why they brought me back. I think we're all trying to go the same way."

Martin's intensity on the field is obvious, and he talks a lot too, sometimes to fire guys up and other times to keep the communication going amongst the special teams units.

It wasn't necessarily easy to earn teammates' trust as one of the special teams leaders, having joined the team so late and having struggled early at his primary defensive position, safety. As a fill-in for the injured Atari Bigby in Week 4 at Minnesota, Martin was caught out of position a couple of times, and the costly mistakes led to him being replaced in the defensive backfield.

But he stayed fired up as always on special teams, playing with so much aggression that he sustained a concussion making a tackle on a punt return in the rematch with Minnesota and missed one game. He also missed the regular-season finale and playoff contests in Arizona due to a badly sprained ankle from Week 16 vs. Seattle, though he was voted by his teammates as one of two special teams captains for the playoffs despite being injured.

That's another reason he feels he can boost his tackle total in 2010. He got his 21 stops - one fewer than team-leader Desmond Bishop and one more than Spencer Havner - even though he sat out at least 21/2 regular-season games.

"That's one of those things that you never get used to," Martin said of watching from the sidelines. "But you learn more while you're sitting down that you can bring back with you when you come back."

Forced to miss the end of the season and the playoffs, Martin is perhaps more jazzed up about the offseason strength and conditioning program than some. He's going through full workouts and then doing some additional rehab on his ankle afterwards as a preventive measure against a recurrence. A full offseason and training camp in Green Bay should help him at safety as well.

As for the eye-opening statistical goal, Martin says it's nothing that's going to take priority in a selfish way over team play. It's just a mindset that he has that he can get in on every special teams tackle, a mindset he shares with players like Bishop and Havner. All three had at least 20 tackles last year, the first time the Packers had three special teamers with 20-plus tackles since 1984.

But that was also the year Dorsey set the team record with 35, while Prather totaled 26 and Cliff Lewis 22, so there's no ruling anything out, and no reason for Martin to be shy.

"We just want to bring everybody along with us," Martin said of the special teams leaders. "If we're all out there, 11 people running down there throwing knives like our coach says, we can't be stopped. If we're all on the same page, I don't think we can be wrong."


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Rockmolder
14 years ago
Want to know one of the big reasons behind the Bills' success in the early 90s? Steve Tasker.

The "position" of ST player is so underrated. KR and PR have been catching on because of the exciting things they do, but a regular cover guy is still looked at as a lesser player. And that while they can effectively change the outcome of a game by totally holding back a punt and/or kick returner.

Martin's really good at STs. I hope that he keeps on going the way he ended last season. If he does, we'll have good guys at the position with Bush and him and we won't have to worry about giving up big kick returns too often.

And to think that we got him for Tony Moll....
Stevetarded
14 years ago
I thought he wrecked his knee instead of his ankle. That's good news I guess lol.
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RainX
14 years ago

And to think that we got him for Tony Moll....

"Rockmolder" wrote:



While I didn't really didn't hear to much about how Moll played for the Ravens last year, I think it's safe to say we got the better end of that trade to this point at least.
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Dulak
14 years ago
Well least the dude sounds pumped - I just know he needs to learn his shit if hes ever going to play safety again ie harris was pissed at him during that MN game for blowing his assignments ...

not to sound too negative - I did like his ST rush skills. ie we need good guys on ST. We were I think 2nd to last on ST this past year. Poor punts and coverage and then poor returns ...
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beast (22h) : You saw only 4,201 of my mocks? 🥺 I think that means you missed more than half of them 😢
dfosterf (27-Mar) : Does anyone know what Lambeau field improvements got put on hold? My guess would be for the 2025 draft
Zero2Cool (27-Mar) : It's like listen, you made 4,201 mocks, no shit.
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dfosterf (26-Mar) : Lengthy explanation at PFF if you click the link
dfosterf (26-Mar) : Kickoff rules officially changed.ngthy explan
Zero2Cool (26-Mar) : lol
Cheesey (26-Mar) : 2009? No thanks! One open heart surgery is enough!
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Zero2Cool (25-Mar) : Gutekunst said early stages of Jordan Love contract being discussed.
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Zero2Cool (25-Mar) : Yeah, challenge until you are incorrect twice.
Zero2Cool (25-Mar) : Fining them is the goal, per the people who made the rule anyway.
dfosterf (25-Mar) : Still waiting on the kickoff rule changes. Did hear yesterday that the touchback proposal will now be the 30 yard line, not the 35
dfosterf (25-Mar) : Probably speed of game issues with your proposal
dfosterf (25-Mar) : Hopefully the refs don't get in the habit of throwing flags on this
beast (25-Mar) : I think when it comes to Challenges should get two strikes, so unlimited challenges as long as they keep winning them, but 2 wrong then done
dfosterf (25-Mar) : Still subject to the fines etc
dfosterf (25-Mar) : Yes, I should have been more specific. Also, they are now saying it would be a 15 yard penalty. That makes more sense .
beast (25-Mar) : Simply fined in the week to follow
beast (25-Mar) : I agree with one NFL official, it'll probably be like some of the helmets hits, not really called by the refs on the field but simply fined
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