Curtis Martin is a former professional running back. Martin attended Pitt, where as a junior, he rushed for 1,045 yards in ten games.

Martin played in the NFL for 12 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played his first three seasons with the New England Patriots, who selected him in the third round of the 1995 NFL Draft. Martin joined the Jets in 1998, where he spent nine seasons before retiring after the 2006 season. A five-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time first-team All-Pro, Martin rushed for 14,101 yards in his career, which is the sixth highest in the NFL (as of 2021). He lost to the Packers in Super Bowl XXXI with the New England Patriots. Martin won the NFL rushing title by one more yard than runner-up Shaun Alexander and became the oldest player, at age 31, in league history to win the rushing title. Martin was named the FedEx Ground Player of the Year.

He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012. Following his retirement, Martin expressed interest in becoming the owner of an NFL franchise.[29] He continued to involve himself in various charity work including through the Curtis Martin Job Foundation, established by Martin during his playing career