Nick Martin (American football)
Nicholas Jacob Martin (born April 29, 1993) is an American football center who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Notre Dame and was drafted by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Early years. Martin and his brother, Zack, attended Saint Matthew Catholic grade school, Indianapolis, Indiana, from kindergarten through eighth grade. Both Martins were products of the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) football program from third grade to eighth grade. High school career. Martin attended Bishop Chatard High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. As a senior, he helped  lead Bishop Chatard to the 2010 Indiana Class 3A state title. He was named a first-team Indiana all-state pick on the Associated Press Class 3A team as offensive lineman. Considered a three-star recruit by "Rivals.com", he was rated as the 68th-best offensive tackle prospect of his class. Originally committed to play college football at Kentucky, Martin switched his commitment to Notre Dame. College career. After his first two seasons as a reserve, Martin emerged as a starter in 2013, starting on the offensive line with his brother, Zack. Martin started 11 games, before sustaining a season -ending knee injury against BYU. Martin returned to form in 2014, and was a named a team captain. Martin started the first three games at center, before an injury to his snapping hand resulted in his move to offensive guard, where he started the remaining 10 games of the season. As a redshirt senior in 2015, Martin started all 13 games for the Irish, helping establish a running game that rushed for 207.6 yards per game, the highest since 1998. Professional career. Houston Texans. The Houston Texans selected Martin in the second round (50th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft . On May 13, 2016, the Texans signed Martin to a four-year, $4.77 million rookie contract that includes $2.33 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $1.67 million. On August 25, 2016, he underwent ankle surgery and was ruled out for the entire 2016 season. On August 30, 2016, he was placed on injured reserve. Martin started the first 14 games of the season at center for the Texans before suffering an ankle injury in Week 15. He was placed on injured reserve on December 19, 2017. On September 10, 2019, Martin signed a three-year, $ 33 million contract extension with $18.5 million guaranteed with the Texans. On February 26, 2021, Martin was released by the Texans. Las Vegas Raiders. Martin signed with the Las Vegas Raiders on March 24, 2021. He was named the backup center to Andre James for the entire season. Personal life. Nick's older brother, Zack, is a Pro Bowl offensive guard for the Dallas Cowboys. His father Keith played defensive tackle for Kentucky in the early 1980s. Nick married his wife, Kathleen Patterson in 2018 in Indianapolis, IN.