OAKLAND, Calif. — Doug Martin, a former NFL running back who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders, died Saturday while in police custody in California. He was 36.
Martin’s family confirmed his death in a statement released Sunday, noting he passed away on October 18. The cause of death has not yet been made public.
Earlier that day, police in Oakland responded to two emergency calls at a residence on Ettrick Street. One call reported a possible break-in, while the other involved a medical emergency.
Officers arrived at the home and found a person inside. That individual was placed in custody following what authorities described as a brief struggle.
While in custody, the person reportedly experienced a medical emergency and was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Police have not released further details about the incident.
Though the department did not initially identify the individual, Martin was later confirmed to be the person involved in the incident.
Officials have not clarified why Martin was detained or whether he was considered a suspect. The department referred to him only as an “individual” in its public statement.
Martin, nicknamed “Muscle Hamster” and “Dougernaut,” was a first-round draft pick in 2012. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2012 and 2015 and was named All-Pro in 2015.
He played college football at Boise State, where he was named All-Mountain West Conference in 2011. Before that, he attended St. Mary’s High School in Stockton, California.
Tributes honoring Martin’s career and legacy have been shared by his former teams and fans across the football community.
