Mike Martin : All posts

Ex-Michigan defensive tackle Mike Martin signs with Tennessee Titans

Mike Martin's professional career got underway last week, and now, he's about to collect his first official paycheck.

Martin, a former Michigan football defensive tackle, reached an agreement on an NFL contract with the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday, according to a release on the team's official website. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Ex-Michigan DT Mike Martin adjusting well to NFL schemes due to Greg Mattison's system

There are a few obvious adjustments Mike Martin is going through during his first weekend as a Tennessee Titan.

The weather's warmer, the food's different and though he's surrounded by rookies, the competition is bigger, faster and stronger.

But when it comes to the basics, Martin feels right at home so far -- thanks to his experience in Michigan football defensive coordinator Greg Mattison's system.

"It's really the same thing," Martin said in a video published by TitansOnline.com. "A lot of the things we ran at Michigan, they run here.

"Really, it's just terminology and words that they use. It'll take some time, but that's a day-to-day thing."

Video: A look inside former Michigan football star Mike Martin's NFL draft party

Former Michigan defensive tackle -- and now, current Tennessee Titan -- Mike Martin produced a video series last year that chronicled his senior season.

Now, he's produced a follow-up that provides an intriguing look into his intimate draft party Friday night at Connor O'Neil's in Ann Arbor.

Martin was selected in the third round that night by the Titans. He goes on to cover the full gamut of emotions -- from jubilant, as he offered a pair of toasts promising to "do it big, like we always do," to sentimental, after shedding a tear as he embraced his mother, Theresa O'Hara, who raised him as a single parent.

Good stuff.

Former Michigan football players Junior Hemingway and David Molk were late-round steals, says Mel Kiper Jr.

The Michigan football program didn't have a whole lot of quantity in the 2012 NFL draft.

That doesn't mean there was a lack of quality.

During a conference call with reporters Monday, ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. tabbed ex-Michigan receiver Junior Hemingway and former Wolverine center David Molk as a pair of seventh-round steals.

"I was really surprised Hemingway went as late as he did, he went in the seventh round and he was gaining a lot of momentum," Kiper said. "I think Junior Hemingway is going to be a real good pick for the Kansas City Chiefs.

"I thought (Molk) would be a fifth-round pick, and (San Diego) got him later than that. When you're talking about the seventh round, the 226th player taken, a kid who was a dominant player at times. He was a neutralizer. ... I think he'll be a nice fit."

Michigan defensive tackle Mike Martin selected by Titans in 3rd round of NFL Draft

This story was updated at 11:52 p.m.

As a freshman, Mike Martin played on the worst team in the 132-year history of Michigan football. Two seasons later, he started on the worst defense in program history.

Then he won 11 games as a senior, leaving school a Sugar Bowl champion.

And on Friday night, during a small party at an Ann Arbor bar with close friends and family, he officially entered the NFL ranks after the Tennessee Titans selected him with the 19th pick of the third round (82nd overall).

His emotions came to the fore as he embraced his mother, Theresa O'Hara, who raised Martin as a single parent in nearby Redford.

"I hugged her, and I started crying," Martin said by phone about 30 minutes after his selection. "I didn’t think I would, but I started crying and I just didn't stop.

"After all the shit I've been through, there was a time when I thought this wouldn't happen. But here we are. I just cried, and I told her, 'We did it, Ma. We did it.'"

With 1st round drought expected to continue, here are Michigan's most likely NFL draft choices

It has been four years since Jake Long became the second No. 1 overall NFL draft pick in Michigan football history.

Since then, the Wolverines have landed only one player, Brandon Graham, in the opening round -- and that rut will not end Thursday night, when this year's draft kicks off with first-round selections.

Michigan's Brandon Graham was the 13th pick overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2010 NFL draft. With no Wolverines projected to be selected Thursday night, Graham would remain the program's lone first-round selection over the past four years. That hasn't happened since 1987-90.

Associated Press

Defensive tackle Mike Martin is Michigan's top pro prospect, but isn't projected to be taken until the second or third rounds. Those air Friday, with the fourth through seventh rounds scheduled for Saturday.

The Wolverines have several strong draft candidates, a class headed by Martin. Center David Molk and receiver Junior Hemingway are pegged for the middle rounds, with tight end Kevin Koger a possible late-round selection.

As the pageantry of the draft gets under way Thursday in New York City, Michigan, once a leviathan in this event, will be noticeably absent from the opening round for the third time in four years.

That hasn't happened in 22 years, when quarterback Jim Harbaugh was the lone first-rounder from 1987-90.

This class of Michigan draftees finished their careers with a flourish. They went from posting the worst season in school history as freshmen to going 11-2 and winning the Sugar Bowl in their final acts as collegians.

But their pro stock is hurt by an inch here, or a second there, in the fiercely competitive NFL Draft pool.

A look at where these players are expected to go, and why:

After 3 years on a 'supplemental' defense, Mike Martin's NFL stock has risen thanks to Greg Mattison

Spending his senior season working with Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison has helped Mike Martin (68) improve his NFL Draft stock.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

Mike Martin arrived at Schembechler Hall recently for a private workout with the New England Patriots.

The former Michigan defensive lineman was prepared to answer the usual questions. What are your strengths? Weaknesses? What kind of system best fits you?

But he also got this: "Where's Coach Mattison at? I'd love to see him again."

Turns out, the person assigned to work out Martin had been a graduate assistant for Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, way back when.

Small world, eh?

Well, it gets a lot smaller when your coordinator is Mattison, who has coached college football for 31 seasons and in the NFL for three. He's been around a lot of people.

Ex-Michigan captain Mike Martin shows off business acumen while crashing chamber of commerce meeting

Former Michigan captain Mike Martin puts pressure on Western Michigan quarterback Alex Carder during a game last season. Martin, who is preparing for the NFL Draft, dropped in on the A2Y Chamber meeting Wednesday morning.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

Brady Hoke was a little out of his element speaking to a group of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti businessmen Wednesday morning, and was under a tight schedule after a Tuesday practice had to be rescheduled for 5:30 a.m. that day.

His speech began around 8:30 a.m.

In the front row, though, he found a familiar face: Mike Martin, the former captain of the Michigan football team who is in the thick of his NFL Draft preparation.

The odd couple: Michigan's Mike Martin befriends Ohio State players in draft prep

The armistice that ended World War I was reached aboard a railroad car in a French forest. Civil War peace was hashed out at a courthouse in Appomattox, Va.

For one Michigan Wolverine and one Ohio State Buckeye, it was a T.G.I. Friday's in the Atlanta International Airport.

Former Michigan captain Mike Martin had a terrific Senior Bowl week in January, which helped to ignite the postseason draft momentum that has raised his pro stock. But while down in Mobile, Ala., he also got to know several former Buckeyes players, including center Mike Brewster and offensive tackle Mike Adams.

He got particularly close to receiver DeVier Posey -- and they ended up on the same flight back from Alabama to Detroit. With a lengthy layover to kill in Atlanta, the two agreed to meet for lunch and hash some things out.

"He’s an all right guy, actually," Martin deadpanned during a recent interview. "There’s just so much animosity and hatred toward each other('s programs), so there were a lot of things that needed to be said."

A look at how 3 Michigan football players upgraded their draft stock at the NFL Combine

INDIANAPOLIS — Three former Michigan football players went to Indianapolis with specific goals for wooing NFL scouts at the combine.

And they more or less did it.

Here's a look of what Mike Martin, David Molk and Junior Hemingway did for their draft stock at the combine, with Michigan's pro day looming next week. Each is expected to make an appearance, although participation levels will vary.

Michigan's Mike Martin ranks among top 4 defensive tackles in every combine event

INDIANAPOLIS -- Mike Martin arrived at the NFL Scouting Combine hoping to shake up the perception he isn’t athletic enough to be an early-round draft pick.

He had no idea it’d be his hotel doing the shaking.

“The hotel we stayed at, there was a freight train that rolled right by it -- like, a freight train,” the former Michigan defensive tackle said in an interview Monday. “Like, in the middle of the night, every hour-and-a-half, a train would go through and shake the whole hotel.

“The first day, I didn’t know there was a train that ran through it, and I literally thought there was an earthquake that night, in the hotel. I ran out of my room in the middle of the night and was like, ‘Holy (crap)!’”

It was just another hardship during a weekend of hardships for the participants. They had 4 a.m. drug tests after late-night team interviews, for example. They weren't given complete schedules, keeping them on their toes. And so on.

It's designed to help sort the top prospects from the riffraff, and Martin responded spectacularly well. He came to the combine touting his bench press, but it was his overall performance in the field drills Monday that will leave the greatest impression.

He finished among the top four defensive tackles in every event, a display of power and speed.

Michigan's Mike Martin falls short of combine record, former teammate in bench press

INDIANAPOLIS -- Mike Martin said last month he was aiming to break the combine's bench-press record. It wasn't bombast, but rather the confidence of a player who already had posted more than 40 repetitions even before the start of his combine training.

Then, after former Michigan teammate David Molk registered a 41 on Friday, Martin arrived in Indianapolis offering the dictum, "I’m happy for him, but I have to beat that. I’m not leaving here without beating him."

Martin benched Sunday afternoon. He's surely disappointed with the results.

The defensive tackle posted 36 reps in the 225-pound bench press at Lucas Oil Stadium, 13 off Stephen Paea's event record and five fewer than Molk.

Michigan's Mike Martin won't let David Molk beat him on bench press; discusses 3 interested teams

INDIANAPOLIS — Mike Martin loves his former teammate, David Molk, like a brother.

And, as tends to be the case, he won't settle for anything less than one-upping his brother.

Molk, the Michigan football team's Rimington Award-winning center, blew away the field Friday during the first day of the bench press at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. His 41 reps were the high of the day, and seven more than any other offensive lineman.

They're a high among centers going back to at least 2005, when records began being kept online for the position.

"I’m happy for him, but I have to beat that," Martin said, laughing. "I’m not leaving here without beating him, so that’s my benchmark."

Michigan's Mike Martin was strongest player in Big Ten last year, Iowa OL says

INDIANAPOLIS — Former Michigan defensive tackle Mike Martin is aiming to break the bench-press record at the NFL Scouting Combine, and he has at least one believer.

The poor guy who got beat up by him the past two years.

Iowa offensive guard Adam Gettis told AnnArbor.com on Thursday that he thinks Martin has a legitimate shot at breaking former Oregon State star Stephen Paea's record of 49 reps (at 225 pounds).

Asked if he thinks Martin is the strongest player in the Big Ten, Gettis, who matched up with Martin, didn't hesitate.

"Definitely," he said. "I’d definitely agree with that one. Definitely."

NFL Combine gets under way today, with David Molk among the first-day arrivals

Mike Martin, David Molk and Junior Hemingway endured some dark years with the Michigan football program.

Now, they're two months from the NFL, the pinnacle of their sport. Martin said he thinks every day about what it will be like to have his name called from that stage in New York City. To get his new jersey. His new locker. New life.

For Martin, it's not a matter of if he'll be drafted, but when. And this week is the last big platform he has to boost that standing.

For Molk, he was named the country's top center after his senior season, but is facing size and injury questions — questions he'll address this week as he tries to fight into the early rounds.

For Hemingway, he's on the outside looking in on most draft boards, but is a big receiver at a time when big receivers are in vogue. If he tests well this week, he could leap into the draft picture.

This week, of course, is the NFL Scouting Combine, and Michigan's contingent has a lot at stake.

8 storylines to watch at this week's NFL Combine in Indianapolis

The Michigan football team will be represented by three players at the NFL Combine, each of whom could rise in the draft with a stirring performance.

Or fall, with a flat one.

It should make for an interesting weekend.

The Wolverines will host a pro day March 15, but the combine will be the last chance for center David Molk, defensive tackle Mike Martin and receiver Junior Hemingway to audition for all 32 NFL teams. (Not to mention a national TV audience and several hundred credentialed media members.)

Here is a look at eight storylines we'll be tracking this week from Indianapolis:

Combine is critical to how Michigan's Mike Martin stacks up in loaded DT draft

Mike Martin finished his career at Michigan with 170 tackles, including 10 sacks.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

Mike Martin is one of more than 300 players who will descend upon Indianapolis this week, each trying to prove his mettle and wit to NFL brass.

He has more at stake than a lot of them.

Martin was a four-year contributor for the Michigan football team, and he missed only one start in his final three years. He became a star, despite playing for two of the Wolverines' all-time worst defenses in 2009 and '10.

As a senior, Martin was one of the most disruptive players in the Big Ten and anchored a resurgent defense that finished 17th in the country.

Scouts like him, too. NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock, one of the best in the business, said he thinks Martin will "be tough to get rid of. He’ll be in a rotation."

It's not a matter of whether Martin will be drafted, but when. And that's the tricky part, as he is a member of one of the deepest defensive tackle classes in years.

Top 5 players Mike Martin, Junior Hemingway, David Molk will battle for position at NFL Combine

The Michigan football team will send three players to this week's NFL Combine in Indianapolis, none of whom is locked in as a high-round draft pick.

One is fighting just to be drafted.

Here is a look at the three, and the top-five players with whom they are jockeying for position:

Michigan's Mike Martin staying mum on combine goals, except one: Set bench press record

A day after returning from the Senior Bowl, Mike Martin sat down in his Novi apartment with pen, paper and an envelope.

He used them to chart his path to the NFL.

Martin just completed a celebrated four-year career with the Michigan football team, which culminated with second-team all-Big Ten honors. He finished with 64 tackles and 3.5 sacks this past season, despite facing constant double teams.

He was named for a third consecutive year the Wolverines' defensive lineman of the year.

Ex-Michigan lineman Mike Martin draws attention for Senior Bowl practices, scuffle with Ohio State player

Mike Martin is expected to be the Michigan football team's strongest NFL draft pick in April.

His stock appears to be rising.