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Rod Martin, a key contributor to Super Bowl-winning teams, has died at age 72, the Las Vegas Raiders announced.
Martin is perhaps best known for his record-breaking performance in Super Bowl XV, when he intercepted three Ron Jaworski passes en route to a 27-10 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Martin set the tone by picking off the Eagles’ quarterback on his first pass of the game, and Jim Plunkett turned it into six points just a few plays later on the next drive.
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Former Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders linebacker Rod Martin attends the game against the San Diego Chargers at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California on October 10, 2010. (Kirby Lee/Image by Sport-USA TODAY Sports)
As the Eagles trailed 21-3, they attempted a comeback and marched, but Martin took out Jaworski again. Martin’s third pick all but sealed the victory late in the fourth quarter for the Raiders during his first stay in Oakland.
Three years later, when the then-Los Angeles Raiders won Super Bowl XVIII over the Washington Redskins, he had a sack and a fumble recovery.
“The Raiders family is deeply saddened by the passing of Rod Martin, a standout linebacker and key player on two Super Bowl championship teams…” the team said in a statement.
Los Angeles Raiders linebacker Rod Martin is on the sideline against the Miami Dolphins in the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, on October 19, 1986. (USA TODAY Sports)
STEPHEN A. SMITH SAYS HE BELIEVES DIANNA RUSSINI AND MIKE VRABEL ARE INNOCENT, FOR NOW
“A beloved member of the Raiders family and a favorite of Raiders fans everywhere, the deepest condolences from all of Raider Nation are with Rod’s family at this time.”
Remarkably, Martin’s career high for interceptions in a regular season is four compared to his 1983 campaign, the same year he earned his second Super Bowl victory. Two of them opted for pick-sixes, which led the league.
The following season, he was named first-team All-Pro for the only time in his career.
Super Bowl XV was the only time he recorded at least one interception in a playoff game, and was the only time in his career he had more than one in any game, regular season or postseason.
Oakland Raiders linebacker Rod Martin carries the ball after an interception against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 25, 1981. The Raiders defeated the Eagles 27-10. (Manny Rubio/USA TODAY Sports)
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Martin was a 12th-round pick out of USC, but he became a pillar of the Raiders defense, starting 147 of his 165 career games over his 12-year career, all of which were with the Raiders.
