Former New York Jets running back Curtis Martin said he was excited about the possibility of being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame along with his former coach Bill Parcells.
Well, Martin made it, but Parcells fell short.
Martin, the fourth-leading rusher in NFL history, is joined by Chris Doleman, Willie Roaf, Cortez Kennedy, Dermontti Dawson, and senior selection Jack Butler.
Notable finalists who won’t make the August trip to Canton, OH are Jerome Bettis, Cris Carter and Parcells.
The former Jets running back also played for the New England Patriots during his 11-year career. Martin was the model of consistency—he and Barry Sanders are the only players in NFL history to start their careers with 10 straight 1,000 yard seasons. He won his only rushing title in 2004 when he rushed for a career high 1,697 yards.
For his career, Martin ran for 14,101 yards and scored 90 touchdowns.
The five-time pro bowler was drafted by the Patriots in the 3rd round (74th overall) in the 1995 draft and took home Offensive Rookie of the Year honors that year.
Martin told the Jets website before the selection that he was considering having Parcells introduce him during the induction ceremony.
“It may sound modest to give someone else a lot of credit for their career, but literally, without Bill in my career, I’m not even having this conversation right now,” Martin said. “As far as I’m concerned, there’s no one else who is more fitting to be my presenter than Coach Parcells.”
