Wisconsin Football Countdown: No. 37, Cecil Martin
By Jim Oxley
As the countdown to the first Wisconsin football game of the season continues, Badger of Honor is taking a look at Badgers by the numbers, checking in on a different Badger or Badgers players who wore the number corresponding with the remaining days until the Badgers head to Texas to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide Saturday, Sept. 5.
Next up in our countdown, signifying 37 days until college football is back, is Cecil Martin.
Martin was a dominating fullback for the Badgers from 1995 to 1998.
Wisconsin Badgers
A four-year starter, Martin was Ron Dayne‘s lead blocker from 1996 through 1998. Martin and Dayne ran through opposing defenses on the way to a Big Ten Championship and a Rose Bowl Championship in Martin’s final season on campus.
He was the Wayne Souza Coaches Appreciation award winner in 1997, he and the rest of the senior starters on the 1998 team earned the Jimmy Demetral Team MVP Award, and he was a team captain in 1998.
Known for his off-the-field work as well as his performance on the gridiron, Martin was named to the American Football Coaches Association inaugural “Good Works” team in 1997 — and was named to it again in 1998. He was a major pioneer of a still-running program where current Badgers players visit the UW Children’s Hospital.
Following college, Martin was a sixth round draft pick (No. 172 overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played in Philadelphia from 1999-2002, and scored both of his career touchdowns — both receptions — in the same game in 2001. He finished his career in Tampa Bay.
Martin played in 61 regular season games (7 post-season) in his NFL career. He averaged 6.1 yards per catch (491 receiving yards) and 4.0 yards per carry (103 rushing yards) over the course of his five-year NFL career.
Martin now works with student athletes from high school’s across the country as an educational speaker for the National Collegiate Scouting Association, and also works with Sky Sports.
In 2005 Martin was voted the fullback on the All-Alvarez Team.
Who wore No. first?
• Halfback A.B. Price first wore No. 37 for the Badgers in 1928.
Who wears No. 37 now?
• Two Badgers players currently wear No. 37. Junior kicker Andrew Endicott, the Badgers kickoff specialist wears No. 37. Incoming freshman safety Bret Verstegen also will wear No. 37 this season.
Stay tuned to Badger of Honor as we continue our daily countdown in preparation of the season opener against Alabama.
Next: Wisconsin Football Experience