Former NFL running back Doug Martin dies at 36

Former NFL running back Doug Martin, a two-time Pro Bowler and 2015 first-team All-Pro, died on Saturday morning at age 36, his family said in a statement, without providing a cause of death. The family asked for privacy as they grieve.

Martin rose to prominence at Boise State, where he rushed for 3,431 yards and 43 touchdowns across five seasons and earned the nickname "Muscle Hamster" for his compact, powerful build. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him with the 31st overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. He made an immediate impact as a rookie, rushing for 1,454 yards and 11 touchdowns and recording a 251-yard, four-touchdown performance in a win over the Oakland Raiders. Those numbers helped establish him as one of the league's top backs early in his career.

Over seven NFL seasons from 2012 to 2018, Martin compiled 5,356 rushing yards and 30 rushing touchdowns and added 148 receptions for 1,207 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. He spent six seasons with the Buccaneers before finishing his career with the Oakland Raiders in 2018. Injuries limited his playing time in some seasons, and he returned in 2019 only to be placed on injured reserve and later released with an...