Mike Martin ( defensive lineman ) Michael Brendan Martin ( born September 1 , 1990 ) is an American football defensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He was selected by the Titans in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft . He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 2008 to 2011 . At Michigan , Martin recorded 172 tackles and appeared in 49 games , including 37 games as the Wolverines ' starting nose tackle . He was selected as a second - team All - Big Ten Conference player by both the coaches and media in 2011 and received the same recognition from the coaches in 2010 . In high school , he was the state Gatorade Player of the Year in football . He was also a two - time Michigan High School Athletic Association ( MHSAA ) state wrestling champion as well as a two - time MHSAA state shot put champion . High school career . Martin attended Detroit Catholic Central High School in Novi , Michigan , where he was a multi - sport athlete competing in football , wrestling and track and field . In football , he recorded 206 . 5 tackles for Catholic Central and was selected as the Gatorade Player of the Year in Michigan for 2007 . Though he only took up wrestling as a junior in high school , he won Michigan ' s Division I state heavyweight wrestling championship in both 2007 and 2008 . He was also a two - time state champion in the shot put , and his 2008 throw of 63 feet , 9 inches came within three inches of breaking the all - time state record set by T . J . Duckett . As a sophomore in high school , Martin also ranked as the No . 1 junior dog handler for the American Kennel Club . As a football recruit he was ranked as the 7th , 8th and 12th best defensive tackle in the nation by Rivals . com , ESPN , and Scout . com , respectively . College career . Martin had been a fan of Michigan football since childhood and gave his oral commitment to head coach Lloyd Carr during an official visit in 2007 . When Carr retired after the 2007 season , Martin withdrew his oral commitment and was heavily recruited by both Notre Dame and Michigan State . Martin renewed his commitment to Michigan in January 2008 . Martin enrolled at the University of Michigan in the fall of 2008 and played on the Wolverines ' defensive line as a true freshman . Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez said , " I don ' t know if I ' ve ever had a true freshman defensive lineman , I guess , as Division I ready as Mike has been . He ' s going to keep getting better , so we ' re excited about him . " Martin earned freshman All - American honors and led Michigan ' s freshmen with 20 tackles . Martin has credited his wrestling technique with helping him against bigger opponents : " It ' s leverage ; it ' s getting under a guy . Just knowing if a guy is on his heels or toes on the line , you ' re able to feel if he ' s on his base or not . In wrestling , that ' s a big aspect of it , because you ' ve got to be able to feel the different motions of a guy . " Martin has also credited wrestling with improving his foot and hand speed . As a sophomore in 2009 , Martin was the starting nose tackle ( sometimes referred to as a nose guard ) in all 12 games for Michigan . He totaled 51 tackles , 8 . 5 tackles for loss , and two sacks in 2009 . In the winter prior to the 2010 season , Martin underwent surgery to repair a shoulder injury that he sustained during his freshman year . At the start of the 2010 football season , Martin said he felt 110 % following the surgery and added , " It feels good to play healthy . " Martin was selected by ESPN . com as one of Michigan ' s two " weight room warriors " for his 505 - pound bench press and 700 - pound squat . In 2010 , Michigan linebacker Craig Roh said of Martin : " Mike Martin is just an animal out there . He ' s the strongest person I ' ve ever seen in the weight room . It ' s really showing on the field . He ' s taking on double teams . ( Against Massachusetts ) , I think the play he sacked the quarterback , he beat a double team and sacked him . Which is — stupid . " Defensive end Ryan Van Bergen added , " He ' s so fast to get into the backfield . Credit that to his wrestling . I don ' t know how he can be so explosive and at the same time be moving his feet that fast . It ' s very unique . He ' s been unreal . " Despite the poor performance of Michigan ' s defense in the first part of the 2010 season , Dave Dye of Fox Sports Detroit praised Martin ' s performance : " Martin is the exception on a lousy Michigan defense . He gives the Wolverines a semblance of stability in the midst of utter chaos . Can you imagine where this defense would be without him ? Frightening . He has been the MVP - NND ( Most Valuable Player - - Not Named Denard ) . . . . He is the team ' s quiet hero . " Following the 2010 season , Martin was selected as a second - team All - Big Ten Conference player by the coaches and received an honorable mention from the media . As a senior in 2011 , Martin had a career - high 64 tackles , including a career - high 10 tackles against Virginia Tech in the 2012 Sugar Bowl . He was selected as a second - team All - Big Ten player by both the coaches and the media after the 2011 season . Martin recorded 172 career tackles at Michigan . He appeared in 49 games during his four years at Michigan , including 37 games as the Wolverines ' starting nose tackle . Professional career . Pre - draft . Martin was one of 30 defensive tackles and 58 defensive linemen that participated in the February 2012 NFL Scouting Combine . He ranked in the top four among defensive tackles in all six events . His 36 repetitions in the bench press ranked second among defensive tackles , second among defensive linemen , and third at the entire combine ( behind Michigan team mate David Molk who was second with 41 ) . His 40 - yard dash time of 4 . 88 ranked third among defensive tackles . He ranked fourth among the defensive tackles and 13th among defensive linemen in the vertical jump with a height of . His standing long jump distance of ranked first among defensive tackles , although that distance was only 14th among defensive linemen . He ranked third among defensive tackles with a 3 cone drill with a time of 7 . 19 , which tied for 15th among defensive linemen . He was second among defensive tackles in the 20 - yard shuttle with a time of 4 . 25 , which placed sixth among defensive linemen . Tennessee Titans . Martin was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the third round ( 82nd overall pick ) of the 2012 NFL Draft . Martin was the first player from the Michigan Wolverines to be selected in the 2012 Draft . He is one of three Michigan Wolverines and 41 Big Ten players drafted . After being selected by the Titans , Martin said : " Actually , I have really good family friends that live in Tennessee and in Nashville , so I ' ve gotten a taste of Nashville a little bit , and I ' m excited to explore it a little bit more — get to know the city and the people . " Titans general manager Ruston Webster said of Martin : " He is what you want in a nose tackle . He is tough as nails , a grinder . He doesn ' t mind doing the dirty work and he brings the kind of mentality we want in our defense . " On October 2 , Martin was fined $ 15 , 750 for hitting Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck .