The announcement was just a formality.  Martin hadn't played since Week 13 of the 2005 season against the New England Patriots.  In that game, a 16-3 Patriot victory, Martin tried to juke a corner and was lit up and dropped for a short loss.  That's when then coach Herman Edwards decided to pull Martin from the game.  The reason Martin was able to gain over 1,000 yards in 10 straight seasons was his escapability.  He never got hit hard.

After sustaining a knee injury in Week 2 against the Dolphins, Martin's running style was never the same.  He had his last 100-yard rushing performance against the Bills in Buffalo in Week 6, but even then you could see that his knee and body were worn down.

Martin finishes his career ranked fourth on the all-time rushing list behind only Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton and Barry Sanders.  He also ranks third all-time in carries and seventh in total yards from scrimmage.  He had eight seasons of 300 carries or more which places him in a tie with Eddie George for second all-time.  He finished with 57 career 100-yard games, good for seventh all-time.

And I have to admit, I didn't want the Jets to pick him up following the 1997 season.  We have Adrian Murrell, I thought.

Man, what a dumb ass I was.

The Jets gave up a first and third round draft pick for Martin and signed him to a six year, $36 million contract in 1998.  I thought it was too much to give up for a little running back who wasn't especially fast and couldn't run over people.  I also hated Martin when he was on the Patriots.  He always seemed to rip an important run or catch a pass for a big first down against the Jets.  I thought for sure that once he came over to the Green and White, his best days would be behind him.

Boy, was I wrong.

There are two games that really stick out in my mind that showed the type of player Martin was and I happened to be at both of them.  The first game was in 2000, week 14 against the Indianapolis Colts.  The Jets were right in the thick of the playoff hunt and needed a win against a playoff bound Colt team.  Martin put the Jets on his back and ran for 203 yards and led the Jets to a 27-17 victory.  I was in the upper deck (sec. 307, row 24, seat 3), but I could see the Colt defenders looking at each other in disbelief during the game.  I knew how they felt.  It's the feeling I had when Martin was playing in New England.  There were times Martin looked surrounded, but he managed to maneuver away from a tackler and gain positive yardage.  And you just couldn't figure out how he did it.

The second game came in 2003 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.  It was a raw, cold, snowy afternoon and my cousin and I risked life and limb on the icy roads as we headed to the Meadowlands to watch a pair of 5-8 teams do battle.  Why?  Because we're stupid, that's why!  We were protected from the elements seated in the second tier (sec. 214, row 8, seat 4) and watched two teams going nowhere slip and slide on the snowy turf.  Snaps were fumbled.  Punts died on contact.  Passes sailed high and wide. Receivers dropped balls.  The only player who seemed unaffected was Martin.  He finished the game with 174 yards rushing as the Jets won 6-0.

But Martin never let his success on the football field put him above others.  He was a reluctant superstar.  A player who gave everything he had in practice, in the film room and in the game.  He had the heart and fight of a lion and left everything on the field, but kept the game in perspective.  He'll go down as a Hall of Fame player, but teammates, coaches and opponents will tell you he was a Hall of Fame person, too.

But, as they say, time waits for no man and so Jet fans will say good-bye to number 28.

Thanks for the memories, Curtis.  You'll be missed.