Getty ImagesHall of Fame running back Curtis Martin wasn’t a first-round draft pick. Instead, Martin left the board in round three in 1995, as the 74th player taken overall.
He also was the 10th running back picked.
Those taken before him included five first-rounders, four of whom were taken over five spots from 17 to 21.
The Martin Nine were Ki-Jana Carter (No. 1 overall, Bengals), Tyrone Wheatley (No. 17, Giants), Napoleon Kaufman (No. 18, Raiders), James Stewart (No. 19, Jags), Rashaan Salaam (No. 21, Bears), Ray Zellars (No. 44, Saints), Sherman Williams (No. 46, Cowboys), Terrell Fletcher (No. 51, Chargers), and William Henderson (No. 66, Packers).
Several had decent careers; Stewart rushed for 5,841 yards, and Wheatley gained 4,962. Kaufman added 4,792 yards. Henderson won a Super Bowl ring in his second season; Williams won one as a rookie.
Martin, of course, had the best career of all, finishing fourth on the all-time list with 14,101 yards and a bust in Canton.
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Surprised no mention of Sherman Williams spending the last 12 years in prison. How bout them Cowboys.
Henderson played 12 years in the NFL. Not worthy of the NFL, but no slouch. Congrats to Martin and the others.
How many championships?
Henderson and maybe a few other were FBs which is not the same position as RB. It’s kind of unfair to put them in the same article as a player who played a different position
Martin was and is way underrated.
Not only did the guy do it all and do it well, but he was a real work horse and team player to boot.
Rashan Salaam. LOL.
Ki-Jana Carter. ROTFLMAO.
I’m just not impressed brother. Never once was I afraid to see him lineup against my team brother.
How many championships?
For Curtis? If you listened to his speech, the answer would be, one every day!
Martin was a very good RB, Its too bad he had to play for my teams rival the Jets. He definitely proved the doubters wrong though.
If only Ki-Jana Carter didn’t destroy his knee. He was a tremendous talent
Henderson was a fullback and not only went to Pro Bowls he was an All Pro and won a Super Bowl.
Fullback does not equal running back.
Martin had the durability and numbers to enter Canton. I don’t think any runningback in the NFL currently is as good as Martin.
William Henderson was a fullback
I always thought half the animosity that followed Bill Parcells when he left NE was because he took Curtis with him.
All you need to know about Curtis Martin is that the guy followed Tuna out of town and he’s still loved and respected in New England.
This story should probably note that if not for his knee injury in college he would have been a first round pick.
Still, Martin worked harder than the other guys which is why he’s deserving of he hall of fame.
Some Pats fans are angered he left for the Jets but it’s tough to blame him for all that money. And it’s not like he helped the Jets break their 40 year Super Bowl drought.
On behalf of Patsfans everywhere I congratulate him on the honor
I think out of those nine, Napoleon Kaufman had the better career. Consider what could’ve been had he not retired early. Not saying he would have been better than Martin, but surely he may have broken 10k career yards.
While the terms have become interchangeable, running back is technically not synonymous with the position of tailback/half back. “Running back” is supposed to define either the HB or the FB.
Definitely an issue of semantics, but everyone mouthing off about William Henderson not being a running back has it wrong.
In the late 90s the Patriots had a choice to make – keep Curtis Martin or keep Ted Johnson. They kept Johnson, and he was a mainstay at middle linebacker for the Pats’ SB teams. Martin had a great career with the Jets, but I think the Pats made the right choice.