Getty ImagesBuccaneers running back Doug Martin is having a great rookie season. Now he wishes he could get a great nickname.
Instead, Martin is saddled with “Muscle Hamster,” the ridiculous nickname that some of his offensive linemen at Boise State gave him. Martin said on NFL AM that the nickname was given to him affectionately by teammates who were impressed by how much he could lift, considering his small stature. But he said he wishes they had come up with something better.
“It has to be the worst nickname ever,” Martin said. “I can’t shake it. It started in college, started back in Boise, with our linemen. I have a lot of bigger friends, and they’d call me the Muscle Hamster because of how much I could lift in the weight room.”
The 5-foot-9, 215-pound Martin bench pressed 225 pounds 28 times at this year’s Scouting Combine, tied for the best mark among all the running backs. So Muscle Hamster may be fitting.
And while Muscle Hamster doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as some of the great running back nicknames of the past, like the Galloping Ghost Red Grange, or the Nigerian Nightmare Christian Okoye, Muscle Hamster is catchy enough that Martin is probably right that he can’t shake it. The Muscle Hamster nickname is here to stay, and while it might sound ridiculous at first, if Martin keeps playing like he has so far in his rookie season, it won’t be long before kids across America are imitating Martin when they play backyard football, and insisting on being called Muscle Hamster.
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Embrace it. If you have more than this season, you’ll be remembered for a long time.
Another star is born from the Raiders run defense. Dennis Allen was just organized practiced for John Fox’s defense. Reggie Mac can evaluate players, but he can’t evaluate coaches.
One thing I’ve learned in life is you can’t choose what people call you. If you hate a nickname, act like you love it so they’ll find another.
Richard Gere would approve.
They could call him Mr Fantasy.
But then people would think he was a male escort or dancer.
May be impossible to shake Muscle Hamster but I think “The Dougernaut” deserves some consideration.
Better than the Muscle rodent.
They can call him anything they want- Dude is a beast!!… Love watching him run!
Hopefully Cam let’s Ray Rice follow the same blueprint Muscle Hampster laid down on the Raiders. But he won’t.
Not a fan of the Bucs, but that dude is a beast and fun to watch. That nickname is so bad, but it’s funny.
Muscle be thy hamster
Whatever, that’s the best nickname I’ve ever heard
dude is a beast and really humble …glad he is on my team….its better than a slow ,whimpy field mouse
How about we just call him….Doug Martin?
Doug Martin, take the lemons and make lemonade. This nickname would have awesome potential for memorabilia and merchandising. Just think, Muscle Hamster t-shirts, bobbleheads, mugs, hats, pet hamster supplies.
Use it to your advantage because we know a rb lifespan in this league is short.
Dude’s agent needs to give him a good slap in the face.
Instead of whining about it, he should be copyrighting it. You can’t see Bucs fans buying Muscle Hamster T-Shirts and whatnot?
T-BONE! The nickname was supposed to be T-Bone!!!
M.C Hamster
that is a horrible nickname and won’t stick, but hey if they are happy with it so be it…Doug gotta keep the o-line happy if he wants those holes to keep opening up..lol
Mighty Mouse.
How about t-bone or gammy?
Hey Its better then the nickname some guys get . “Bust”
When someone is that tough, that strong, and that good, I call him, “Sir”.
This guy’s agent needs to be talking to Kia right now.
Muscle hamster is derogatory. I agree with gatornation85, just use his name. Make his parents proud, use the name they gave him.
Somebody get KIA on the line and book the guy for a Soul ad.
The nickname may be ridiculous, but it is both memorable and awesome (as is Doug Martin).
Would anyone care about BJGE? No? What about the Law Firm?
Look, my kid’s interest in the “Pirates” (ahem) has increased about 5000% since the Muscle Hamster has done his thing. Can’t wait ’til Sunday.
Not so fast Doug Martin….. “Muscle Gerbil” would be a little worse.
Worse name: Super Gerbil.
225 28 times for his height is incredible.
Can you imagine being up by 50 points in fantasy but your opponent had one player left oging which was doug martin. I think I would have quit fanatsy.
Ray Lewis being nicknamed “murderer” is way worse.
I mean, it’s just nickname, right?
I really like the fact he’s been saddled with this ridiculous nickname, but he’s not throwing a fit about it. It’s silly, but he’s not some pompous jerk who’s going to make an issue of it. Really humble, well-spoken kid. Add that to the fact he’s kicking fanny on the field, and I couldn’t be happier this guy is on the Bucs.
As far as I’m concerned his name is Dougie Fresh
It’s better & more creative than “D-Mart.”
I don’t think it’s so bad.
That man ain’t never gonna be right again. Something like that’ll ruin a man.
Doug wasn’t paying attention during his marketing & economics classes at Boise. He is sitting on a gold mine and doesn’t even know it.
I love that your telling the masses about the name he hates………… classic!
jjackwagon says:Nov 6, 2012 11:44 AM
Doug wasn’t paying attention during his marketing & economics classes at Boise. He is sitting on a gold mine and doesn’t even know it.
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That is true.
What guy would want to be called “Babe”? Then again, it’s hard to imagine George H. Ruth being called anything else.
Love it or hate it, you have to like the fact that you are important enough to get a nickname.
Honey Badger is an awesome nickname and that guy is a train wreck. Be glad for what you got Doug.
PS. Thank you in advance for winning me my fantasy league.
hamsters are tough…I bought a couple of small hamsters for my daughters when they were young and we put them in this nice little glass aquarium with little houses and sawdust and wheels and everything you thought two little hamsters would like. We were told the two little hamsters were sisters – so my girls each adopted one each as their own…My younger girl called her’s fluffy and the older girl called her’s princess….
Fluffy eat princesses head.
Like I said hamsters are tough.
Put me down for Mighty Mouse… Maybe Dig Dug.
We love us some Muscle Hamster. Pick your poison now suckers.
Oh, am I in town???
Dean Martin
Tampa Bay has a habit of kicking out 4-5 game wonders who you never hear from again. (See Caddy Williams, Blount, etc.)
They settled on Muscle Hamster after the coaching staff vetoed Steroid Mouse.
I like the Muscle Hamster nickname. After the Vikings game, he was asked what he’d like his nickname to be and he said, “I don’t know… T-Rex something…”
So most Bucs fans I know have started referring to him as “D-Rex.”
My 5 year old daughter has two hamsters. Chinese hamsters, I believe (can’t get ANYTHING made in America anymore, right?)
Their names are Richard Ro-Dent and Dan HAMpton (we are Bears fans, duh).
Anyway, her little sister squeezed one of them to death. We replaced it (Devin Hamster).
So one day, my daughter had it sitting out on the couch with her, and it started cleaning itself with its little paws.
“Look Dad – he’s cleaning hisself!!” she squealed, delighted by the cute little activity.
“No honey,” I said, “it’s HIMself – you say ‘he’s cleaning HIMself…” (former English teacher that I am)
So without missing a beat, my daughter smiles real big and says:
“No Dad, it’s HAMself – he’s cleaning HAMself.”
Agents, team reps, stadium announcers, etc. should start using that, too:
“We are now pleased to introduce…Mr. Doug Martin hamself…”
In any case, I like the name.
(Better than “Megatron”, anyway)
Better nickname than that nice Scottish guy “Booger” McFarland.
5’9″ and 215# and shredded is not that small of a guy in the real world! Standing beside a lineman, sure but beside you and I, that’s another story!
Dougie fresh! The man does the dougie most the time he scores.
Muscle Hamster is an awesome nickname. Embrace it.
Better than being fat and known as the “Doughnut”
how did nobody mention mighty mouse?
Ok that’s just awesome. My husband’s nickname for me is hamster…hamsters unite! It evolved (devolved? lol) from the phrase from Monty Python “you’re mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberried”.
raiderlyfe510 says: Nov 6, 2012 10:41 AM
Another star is born from the Raiders run defense. Dennis Allen was just organized practiced for John Fox’s defense. Reggie Mac can evaluate players, but he can’t evaluate coaches.
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He’s been doing it all year. Thanks for showing that you don’t watch film.
We’ve been watching him for years at Boise State and my friends call him Rimfire. It has something to do with a .22 bullet and/or gun. He’ll always be Rimfire to me!
Martin had a teammate nicknamed “Canadian Bacon”. He should consider himself lucky, and embrace his fleeting fame.
Call him whatever he wants….just keep feeding the Hamster!
Go Bucs!