He played college football for the Boise State Broncos and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft.

As a junior, Martin rushed 228 times for 1,950 yards and 18 touchdowns, earning first-team all-selection and all-area honors by the Stockton Record and All-San Joaquin accolades by Comcast Sports.

During his senior season, he rushed for 1,234 yards on 171 carries and 14 touchdowns winning the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

[4] In track & field, Martin recorded a personal-best time of 11.15 seconds in the 100-meter dash as a senior.

[9] Martin made his collegiate debut on September 27, 2007, against Southern Miss, his lone appearance of the season.

[4][38] He was nicknamed "Muscle Hamster" by his Boise State teammates due to his strength and small size.

[43] On June 4, 2012, Martin signed a five-year contract, worth $6.787 million with the team.

After a successful 2012 preseason with the Buccaneers, where he rushed for 97 yards on 27 carries to go with two rushing touchdowns, Martin was officially named as the team's starting running back entering the 2012 regular season by coach Greg Schiano.

Martin broke the franchise records for rushing yardage and touchdowns in a game.

[50] He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his historic game against the Raiders.

[60] In a Week 2 game against the New Orleans Saints, Martin rushed for 144 yards on 29 carries.

[63] Martin returned from his injury in time for the season opener against the Carolina Panthers.

[71] In Week 11 against the Philadelphia Eagles, he ran for 235 yards on 27 carries, averaging 8.7 yards-per-attempt.

[73] Following Martin's resurgent season he was selected for the 2016 Pro Bowl, the second of his career, and became the first Buccaneers running back to be named a First-team All-Pro.

[76] On March 9, 2016, Martin signed a five-year, $35.75 million contract extension, keeping him with the Buccaneers through the 2020 season.

[78] On December 28, 2016, he was suspended four games for violation of the NFL substance abuse policy.

He announced that he intended to enter a treatment facility after testing positive for Adderall.

[80] In 2017, Martin played in 11 games with six starts, rushing for a career-low 406 yards with three touchdowns on 138 carries.

[88] On May 1, 2019, Martin re-signed with the Raiders, after Isaiah Crowell suffered a season-ending injury.

[91] Martin visited youth at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg and sang holiday carols to residents at Westminster Palms retirement home in December 2012.