LB Rod Martin Was a Raiders Super Bowl Hero--Twice

The Somewhat unsung Rod Martin was a standout for the Raiders in Super Bowls XV and XVIII

As we saw a few weeks ago, often unsung heroes make the difference in the biggest game of the year, and linebacker Rod Martin did it twice for the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders.

That Martin made it at all with the Raiders was something of an oddity because he was considered to be too small to play linebacker at 6-2 and 210 pounds and too slow to play safety when he was selected in the 12th round (No. 317 overall) of the 1977 NFL Draft out of USC.

However, after being released and re-signed by the Raiders that year, Martin bulked up to about 225 pounds and became one the best linebackers in franchise history while playing for the Silver and Black from 1977-88.

In Super Bowl XV against the Philadelphia Eagles, Martin intercepted quarterback Ron Jaworski’s first pass of the game and returned it 17 yards to the Philadelphia 30. Seven plays later, Plunkett threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Cliff Branch and the Raiders had a 7-0 lead with 8:46 left in the first quarter.

The Eagles never caught up, in good measure because of Martin.

Tackles were not an official statistic kept in those days, but Martin also helped the Raiders hold running back Wilbert Montgomery of the Eagles, who gained 1,000-plus yards in three seasons, to 44 yards in 16 carries.

However, Martin was not finished. He intercepted two more passes by Jaworski to set a Super Bowl record of three in one game, the last in the final minutes to clinch a 27-10 victory for the Raiders, who became the first wild-card team to win the Super Bowl.

“Rod Martin slams the door in the face of the man they call ‘Jaws,’ and the Raiders will win the Super Bowl for the second time,” legendary play-by-play man Bill King said on the Raiders Radio.

Said future Hall of Fame linebacker Ted, Hendricks: “The Eagles somehow felt they could exploit Rod Martin. They decided to attack the right side of our defense, away from me.

“They tested Rod the whole game, and all they got out of it was three interceptions.”

Somehow, Martin did not earn the Most Valuable Player award, which went to Plunkett after he passed for 261 yards and three touchdowns.

Martin graciously said he was simply happy to have a Super Bowl ring, and he added: “I feel like I got another one in me.”

Indeed, he did.

In Super Bowl XVIII, Martin and the Raiders routed the heavily favored Washington Redskins, 38-9, and he helped limit John Riggins to 64 yards rushing on 26 carries after he had been MVP of the game a year earlier with 166 yards rushing and a 43-yard touchdown in a 27-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

On one series in the second half, Riggins gained eight yards on first down, but the Raiders shut him down on the next three plays to regain possession, and on the next play Marcus Allen ran 74 yards for a touchdown to break the game open.

Martin was in on the tackle on each of those three plays and finished the game with five tackles, a sack of quarterback Joe Theismann in addition to a fumble recovery.

Allen was named MVP with 191 yards rushing and two touchdowns, but again Martin didn’t care because he had another Super Bowl ring.

Thanks to his Super Bowl performances, Martin did earn first-team All-Pro honors in 1984, was selected second-team All-Pro three times, and played in two Pro Bowls, but he definitely was something of an unsung hero for the Raiders.

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