One of the crowning achievements of running back Curtis Martin’s Hall of Fame career was leading the NFL in rushing yards in 2004 with the Jets. Apparently, it was even more of an impressive feat than anyone knew.
“My MCL had almost a Grade 3 tear in it,” Martin told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “It was so loose. I played with it from I believe the sixth or seventh game throughout the rest of the season. At the time, the doctors were telling me that I needed to sit out and let it rest and I may need surgery.”
Martin, 47, got guidance from his former head coach, Bill Parcells, who was then coaching the Cowboys. But Parcells coached Martin for four seasons, split between the Patriots and Jets.
“I said, ‘Coach, look, this thing is really bothering me. It feels wobbly, like I don’t even feel stable on it. What do you think I should do?’ I said, ‘I think I can bear the pain, it’s not the pain, it’s just whether or not it’s best for me,'” Martin said, recalling the conversation to the paper.
Curtis MartinNew York Post“He said, ‘Well, you know Boy Wonder, I always think that you should take care of your body, take care of yourself. I think that’s your priority and that’s what you should do because you never know how it will effect you longterm. But on the other hand, you never really wanna come out of the huddle because you never know who who’s going into the huddle.’ And that just stuck with me forever. He had told me something similar to that when I was a rookie, and so it’s always been my passion that no one else should ever get in that huddle.”
The 2004 NFL season ended up being Martin’s second-to-last in the league with the five-time Pro Bowler setting career-highs in rushing yards (1,697) and carries (371). He also rushed for 12 scores while helping lead the Jets to a playoff berth.
