Manny Martin
Encyclopedia
Emanuel C. "Manny" Martin (born July 31, 1969, in Miami, Florida
) is a former American football
player and a current high school football coach. He played five years in the National Football League
as a cornerback
and safety for the Houston Oilers and Buffalo Bills
. He is the current head football coach at Dillard High School
in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
, Martin attended Miami Central High School
, where he played defensive back for the football team in the late 1980s. He subsequently attended Alabama State University
.
. In 1995, he played for the Ottawa Rough Riders
in the Canadian Football League
.
In 1996, Martin tried out with the Buffalo Bills
, where he was considered "the longest of long shots." Despite the odds, Martin made the team and became a major contributor in the Bills' secondary over the next four years. In one of his first games for Buffalo, he made a name for himself when he made two interceptions (and nearly grabbed a third) off Troy Aikman
on back-to-back possessions during the third quarter of a win over the Dallas Cowboys
. During a pre-season game against the Seattle Seahawks
in August 1999, he returned an interception 96 yards for a touchdown. Martin's NFL career ended in October 1999, when, at age 30, he suffered torn ligaments in his knee. During his NFL career, Martin played in 54 games (six as a starter), intercepted five passes, and had 64 tackles.
at Deerfield Beach High School
in Deerfield Beach, Florida
, when Denard Robinson
played there. Interviewed in September 2010, Martin recalled Denard Robinson as a freshman trying to persuade him to give him a position on the varsity football team as a defensive back. Martin recalled, "To see where he was at then, and to see where he is now, it's a blessing. This is the reward we get as high school coaches. You spend time with a kid, and then you watch what happens."
In 2007, Martin became the head football coach at his alma mater, Central High School. He led the team back to the playoffs in 2007, but he was fired after one season. Martin told The Miami Herald
at the time, "I was told Friday afternoon by the principal, and he said they wanted to move in a different direction."
Since 2009, Martin has been the head football coach at Dillard High School
in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. At Dillard, Martin is currently the coach of All-American safety Wayne Lyons, one of the top-rated high school players in the Class of 2011.
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
) is a former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and a current high school football coach. He played five years in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
as a cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
and safety for the Houston Oilers and Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He is the current head football coach at Dillard High School
Dillard High School
Dillard High School is a historic public high school located in Fort Lauderdale of Broward County, Florida. Dillard is available to all of Broward County. This school was established in 1907...
in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Early years
A native of Miami, FloridaMiami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, Martin attended Miami Central High School
Miami Central High School
Miami Central Senior High School, commonly referred to as Central Rockets, is a secondary school located at 1781 NW 95th Street in West Little River, unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA. The school serves most of the northern fringes of the city of Miami as well as parts of North Miami,...
, where he played defensive back for the football team in the late 1980s. He subsequently attended Alabama State University
Alabama State University
Alabama State University, founded 1867, is a historically black university located in Montgomery, Alabama. ASU is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.- History :...
.
Professional football career
After graduating from Alabama State, Martin played in three games for the Houston Oilers during the 1993 NFL season1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
. In 1995, he played for the Ottawa Rough Riders
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
.
In 1996, Martin tried out with the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, where he was considered "the longest of long shots." Despite the odds, Martin made the team and became a major contributor in the Bills' secondary over the next four years. In one of his first games for Buffalo, he made a name for himself when he made two interceptions (and nearly grabbed a third) off Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
on back-to-back possessions during the third quarter of a win over the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. During a pre-season game against the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
in August 1999, he returned an interception 96 yards for a touchdown. Martin's NFL career ended in October 1999, when, at age 30, he suffered torn ligaments in his knee. During his NFL career, Martin played in 54 games (six as a starter), intercepted five passes, and had 64 tackles.
Coaching career
After retiring from the NFL, Martin became a high school math teacher and football coach in south Florida. He was the defensive coordinatorDefensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
at Deerfield Beach High School
Deerfield Beach High School
Deerfield Beach High School is a public high school in Deerfield Beach, Florida. It is part of Broward School District and has an enrollment of approximately 2950....
in Deerfield Beach, Florida
Deerfield Beach, Florida
Deerfield Beach is a city in Broward County, Florida, USA. The city is named for the numerous deer that once roamed the area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 75,018...
, when Denard Robinson
Denard Robinson
Denard Xavier Robinson , nicknamed Shoelace, is an American football player who is playing his junior season for the 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team. He started at quarterback in all 13 games for the Michigan Wolverines football team in 2010...
played there. Interviewed in September 2010, Martin recalled Denard Robinson as a freshman trying to persuade him to give him a position on the varsity football team as a defensive back. Martin recalled, "To see where he was at then, and to see where he is now, it's a blessing. This is the reward we get as high school coaches. You spend time with a kid, and then you watch what happens."
In 2007, Martin became the head football coach at his alma mater, Central High School. He led the team back to the playoffs in 2007, but he was fired after one season. Martin told The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered on Biscayne Bay in the Omni district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States...
at the time, "I was told Friday afternoon by the principal, and he said they wanted to move in a different direction."
Since 2009, Martin has been the head football coach at Dillard High School
Dillard High School
Dillard High School is a historic public high school located in Fort Lauderdale of Broward County, Florida. Dillard is available to all of Broward County. This school was established in 1907...
in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. At Dillard, Martin is currently the coach of All-American safety Wayne Lyons, one of the top-rated high school players in the Class of 2011.