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Rod Martin, a key contributor to Super Bowl-winning teams, has died at age 72, the Las Vegas Raiders announced.
Martin is perhaps best known for his record-breaking performance in Super Bowl XV, when he caught three passes from Ron Jaworski en route to a 27-10 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Martin set the tone by picking off the Eagles quarterback on his first pass of the game, and Jim Plunkett turned it into six points just a few plays later on the ensuing drive.
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Former Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders linebacker Rod Martin attends the game against the San Diego Chargers at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California on October 10, 2010. (Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports)
Trailing 21-3, the Eagles tried to mount a comeback and marched, but Martin picked off Jaworski again. Martin’s third pick nearly sealed the win late in the fourth quarter for the Raiders during their first stint in Oakland.
Three years later, when the then-Los Angeles Raiders won Super Bowl XVIII over the Washington Redskins, he had a sack and a fumble.
“The Raiders family is deeply saddened by the passing of Rod Martin, a standout linebacker and key player on two Super Bowl championship teams…” the team said in a statement.
Linebacker Rod Martin of the Los Angeles Raiders stands on the sideline against the Miami Dolphins at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida on October 19, 1986. (USA TODAY Sports)
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“A beloved member of the Raiders family and a favorite of Raiders fans everywhere, the deepest condolences of the entire Raider nation are with Rod’s family at this time.”
Incredibly, Martin’s career high in interceptions in a regular season is four from his 1983 campaign, the same year as his second Super Bowl victory. Two of those went for pick-sixes, which led the league.
The following season, he was named a first-team All-Pro for the only time in his career.
Super Bowl XV was the only time he recorded at least one interception in a playoff game, and it was the only time in his career he had more than one in any game, regular season or postseason.
Oakland Raiders linebacker Rod Martin carries the ball after an interception against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, January 25, 1981. The Raiders defeated the Eagles 27-10. (Manny Rubio/USA TODAY Sports)
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Martin was drafted out of USC in the 12th round, but became a mainstay of the Raiders’ defense, starting 147 of his 165 career games over his 12-year career, all of which were with the Raiders.
