2015 DETROIT LIONS MEDIA GUIDE

6 - SAM MARTIN
Punter Appalachian State Fayetteville, Ga.
Year: 3 Ht: 6-1 Wt: 211 Born: 2/27/90
Draft: ’13, R5 (137)-Det
Complete biographical information available on Detroitlions.com.
MANE FACTS
‣ ¾ Named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 3 of 2013.
TRANSACTIONS
‣ ¾ Drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round (137th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft.
PRO
Third-year punter who took over the Lions’ punting, holding and kickoff duties in 2013, and has established himself as one
of the best young legs in the NFL.
‣ ¾ With a 71-yard punt in Week 14 vs. Tampa Bay (12/7/14), Martin became the first Lions punter in team history to register
two 70+-yard punts in his career. He recorded a 72-yard punt at Washington (9/22/13) in 2013.
‣ ¾ Martin showed his versatility in Week 10 vs. the Dolphins (11/9/14) as he completed two passes out of punt formation,
one of which went for 24 yards to FB Jed Collins for a first down. Over the last 10 seasons, only one other NFL player
has had two pass completions and two punts in the same game (Rams P Johnny Hekker in 2012). The last Lions player
to do so was Earl Morrall, Detroit’s starting quarterback in 1963 who assumed punting duties at midseason after Yale
Lary was injured. (courtesy Elias Sports Bureau).
‣ ¾ Martin finished the 2013 season with a net punting average of 40.40 and broke the franchise record (official statistic
since 1967) for net punting average. He is the first punter in franchise history to finish the season with a 40+-yard net
punting average. Martin surpassed the previous record held by P Jim Arnold (39.63) in 1987.
• He became the second rookie punter to finish the season with a 40+-yard net punting average. His 40.40 net punting
average is the second-highest in League history among rookies (since net punting became official in 1976) behind
only Jacksonville P Bryan Anger (40.85) in 2012.
• He also recorded the second highest (gross) punting average by a rookie (minimum 20 punts) in NFL history. His 47.21
ranks behind Anger’s 47.84 that he accumulated in 2012.
‣ ¾ Martin tallied a (gross) punting average of 47.21 on the season (72 punts for 3,399 yards). Martin has the third highest
single-season punting average in team history and he is the first Lions punter in 50 years (Hall of Fame P/S Yale Lary
48.94 in 1963) to finish the season with a 47+-yard punting average. His 2013 output trails only Yale Lary’s 1963 total,
which is a team single-season record, and Lary’s 48.44 average in 1961.
‣ ¾ Martin broke the team’s rookie record for punting average (47.2) by surpassing P/RB Bob Cifer’s 45.6 average in 1946.
‣ ¾ At Cleveland (10/13/13), Martin became the first Lions punter to record 5+ punts, 47.0+ net average, 3+ inside the 20
and 0 touchbacks in a game since net punting became an official statistic in 1976.
‣ ¾ Martin earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance at Washington (9/22/13), where he recorded
six punts for 351 yards (52.5 average) and finished with a net punting average of 40.7. He is the first Lions punter to
win the award since Jim Arnold in 1993.
• Among Martin’s punts was a 72-yarder. It was the longest punt recorded by the Lions since P Tom Skladany had a
74-yard punt vs. Oakland September 27, 1981.
• The 72-yard punt by Martin was the second-longest in team history by a rookie, and the longest since P Bob Cifers
nailed a 73-yard punt as a rookie vs. Green Bay November 17, 1946.
• Martin’s average of 52.5 was the highest single-game average by a Lions punter with at least six punts since P Pat
Studstill recorded a 53.0 average on seven punts vs. Chicago September 11, 1966. It is the second-highest punting
average with a minimum of six punts in a game since 1960.
‣ ¾ With a 50.2 net punting average at Arizona (9/15/13), Martin set a new franchise record for net punting average in a
game (official statistic since 1976) with a minimum of five punts.
• Martin became the first rookie punter in the NFL to record a 50.0+ net punting average with a minimum of five punts
since New England P Shawn McCarthy had a 51.6 net punting average (five punts) at Buffalo 11/3/91.
2014: Returned for his second season as the Lions’ leg on special teams, booming 68 punts for 3,318 yards (41.6 avg) and
a net average of 40.1. Also landed 29 punts inside the 20-yard line and posted a long of 71 yards.
‣ ¾ Started the 2014 season with a gross punting average of (54.5) with a long of 57, which ranked fifth in the NFC, in Week
1 vs. New York Giants (9/8).
‣ ¾ Recorded five punts for 233 yards (46.6 avg) in Week 2 at Carolina (9/14).
‣ ¾ Recorded two punts for 104 yards (52.0 avg) with a long of 55 in Week 3 vs. Green Bay (9/21).
‣ ¾ Nailed six punts for 306 yards (51.0 avg) with a long of 55 in Week 4 at New York Jets (9/28).
‣ ¾ Registered seven punts for 330 yards (47.1 avg) with a long of 60 in Week 4 vs. Buffalo (10/5).
‣ ¾ Punted seven times for 341 yards (48.7 avg) with a long of 63 and two landing inside the 20-yard line in Week 6 at
Minnesota (10/12).
‣ ¾ Recorded five punts for 213 yards (42.6 avg) with four landing inside the 20-yard line in Week 7 vs. New Orleans (10/19).
‣ ¾ Punted three times for 124 yards (34.7 avg) with two landing inside the 20-yard line in Week 8 at Atlanta (10/26).
‣ ¾ Registered three punts for 137 yards (45.7 avg) with one landing inside the 20-yard line while also going 2-for-2 for 27
yards passing the ball in Week 10 vs. Miami (11/9).
‣ ¾ Punted six times for 249 yards (41.5 avg) with three landing inside the 20-yard line in Week 11 at Arizona (11/16).
‣ ¾ Registered five punts for 231 yards (46.2 avg) with two landing inside the 20-yard line Week 12 at New England (11/23).
‣ ¾ Punted three times for 153 yards (51.0 avg) with one landing inside the 20-yard line in Week 13 vs. Chicago (11/27).
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