Due to a late hit on Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon in 1986, Martin became the first modern NFL player to have a multi-game suspension for an on-field incident.
Martin attended Cherokee High School in Canton, Georgia and was nicknamed "Too Mean" for his tendency to pile on ball carriers after the whistle.
[2] He initially signed to play college football at Western Carolina, but followed assistant coach Joe D'Alessandris to Livingston University.
[2] Martin was signed by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League in early 1984, but was cut before he could make it through a season.
During pre-game warm-ups, Martin displayed a white hand-towel with a list of five Bears offensive players' numbers: 9 for Jim McMahon, 34 for Walter Payton, 83 for Willie Gault, 63 for Jay Hilgenberg and 29 for Dennis Gentry.
[6][8] McMahon landed full force on his previously injured shoulder,[9] a situation exacerbated by Soldier Field's artificial turf surface of the time.
Referee Jerry Markbreit considered himself lucky to have seen Martin's hit at all, given his attention was supposed to have been directed downfield at the site of the interception.
'[10]Markbreit walked to the Packers sideline and told coach Forrest Gregg "This man is ejected from the game."
[10] McMahon, who was already playing with a rotator cuff tear, suffered further damage requiring surgery, which kept him out of competition for the rest of the 1986 season.