He attended Western High School, where he played football and ran track.

At the University of South Carolina Rodney became a three-time All-American and broke the indoor and outdoor 200m school records.

Martin ran 4th place at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan in the 200m dash, missing the bronze medal to Wallace Spearmon Jr. by 100th of a second.

Martin made his first Olympic Team in 2008 in Beijing China, where he ran the first leg of the 4 x 100 metre relay.

He competed in the 4x100 metres relay together with Travis Padgett, Darvis Patton and Tyson Gay.