"COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE"

OAKLAND RAIDER LB # 53

ROD MARTIN

Defense Baby!

Oh, What A Goodie!

 XV and XVIII

“Once I get my hands on you it’s all over.”

 "We were always counted out, as under dogs by the critics and media, but that was good"...Rod Martin

A special thanks to Rod Martin

 By Raiderdrive

ROD MARTIN-"UNDER DOGS WE WERE, BUT WE LIKED IT."

“Hello fans and Raider Drive and Raider diehards, let’s talk a little football, you want to talk defense and a little Super Bowl," says Rod Martin.  "Man those were the days, it’s like it was still not long ago and a feeling that is like no other.  I played in Super Bowl XV and XVIII and for me they were both outstanding, but it was Super Bowl XV that was probably my most memorable as a player.  We were always counted out, as under dogs by the critics and media, but that was good, that’s what we wanted.  Because it just made us stronger as a team, hey we wore the silver and black, we were labeled as dirty and nasty outlaws in the NFL and to this day the legend still lives on in Oakland and around the world,” said Rod. 

It's New Orleans, The Big Show and The Drive For Adversity

On the day of January 25, 1981 the Oakland Raiders find themselves in a battle for the rights to a Super Bowl championship. The Raiders had just lost to the Philadelphia Eagles eight weeks prior and the Eagles marched in New Orleans as 31/2 point favorites.  Once again the critics have the Silver & Black playing the role as another under dog pick.  "That was the year that we had all that legal stuff going on with the move and all with LA and Oakland, but Al Davis pretty much kept that away from us players, it really never was a distraction for the team.  It was win, win and take the whole thing," said Rod Martin.  " I remember the Eagles talking about coming after me, that I could be exploited and so they did, they attacked the right side of our defense and the outcome?  I'm sure in the hell happy that they did, I grabbed three interceptions in that game, our finest hour as a team and when it was all said and done with we had the trophy" said Rod Martin.

"I also remember the Eagles and QB Jaworski doing a lot of trash talking before the game, that they were going to do this and that and that we never faced a team like them, because as I mentioned they beat us pretty good about 7-8 weeks earlier and they had 8 QB sacks on us that day in Philadelphia. We remembered that game and we knew we had the overall talent and pass pressure with a no quit philosophy and mentality.   They came in high stepping with a record of 12-4 and confident before the Super Bowl.  All's I got to say is Eagles 10, Raiders 27."

Rod Martin, Still sports silver & black photo by LG

  Can You Say D In Silver & Black

“We had some pretty good aggressive linebackers back then, we had Ted Hendricks, Matt Millen, Rob Nelson and me. We always believed in aggressiveness and you should be aggressive as it is.  We were the leaders on the team, the defense, and as the linebackers go the defense goes.  Let me tell you about the differences that I see in defenses today. They play the 4-3 defense and we played the 3-4 defense, which means that we had more talented linebackers playing the position and 3 down linemen who were very good themselves!  So we got to do more things as a defensive unit as a linebackers group.  We had to do it all, we had to blitz, we had to intercept, we had to stop the run and sack the Q B.  So we were all around sound as per say as a LB group than they are today, not just the Raider linebackers but also the linebackers all throughout the league.  Now days you have LB’s that don’t play the whole game every down, you have guys that are always running in and out of the game to take a break and or because of different calls or offensive or defensive game calls, but as to where Ted Hendricks and I played just about every down.  We played more man-to-man coverage, because we had the great defensive backs and the safeties that could cover man to man.  We also had LB’s that could cover good man to man as well.  So we played more man-to-man than what they do today and now they have this thing that they call a combination man zone defense, that hasn’t hit me upstairs at all yet because I just don’t believe in that!" said Rod Martin.

"I also have seen defensive linemen to where when they drop back to cover the pass and they consider that the pass zone and I think it’s very unsound, but then again that’s my personal opinion.  If you have great defensive lineman why waste talent and have them drop back to cover an area?  Look at the Ravens, they have a great defensive unit, they don’t waste any talent.  You want to know what my philosophy is, talent, and aggressiveness, go after them, pin your ears back and attack. We never waited for any body to dictate to what we were going to do, we made sure we dictated to them that we were going to do this, so try and stop us!  That’s the way we played ball and I think it has changed quite a bit now days.”

I asked Rod Martin, where that saying come from, I remember Super Bowl XV the commentator mentioning something about your grip “Once I get my hands on you it’s all over” now what’s that all about? (Laughing). “ Now, give me your hand?” said Rod, he took my hand and griped it hard, as I looked down at his hand, my hand was nowhere to be found, buried and what a grip! Rod looked at me tilted his head back and started laughing as if he were the man from the “Uncola Seven-Up” laugh!  “Now you see where that saying came from?  If your going to run by me or turn that corner, you’d better have your blocker get a clean block on me to where I cant even get my pinkie on you!  My hands are one of my assets and strengths and you have to use your strengths no matter what it is."

I was considered to small to play in the league but just remember this, as long as you play big that’s all that matters.”-Rod Martin