Our weekly Q & A is with Hall of Fame running back Curtis Martin, who was in the news recently. He accepted an invitation by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross to serve on an advisory committee to review the Dolphins' conduct policies and make recommendations in the aftermath of the Richie Incognito-Jonathan Martin bullying scandal:
How does a former Jets great end up on a Dolphins committee?
Martin: It doesn't have anything to do with it being the Miami Dolphins; this is a universal problem. It's this situation. You know all about the turmoil it has caused. Stephen wanted to pick out individuals he trusted, people like (former Dolphins) Jason Taylor and Dan Marino. I'm more of an outside point of view.
You don't see anything weird about it?
Martin: No. At the end of the day, the NFL is part of my family now. It wouldn't matter what team it was. This is something I wanted to do. It's a very important issue.
In all the years you played, did you ever witness this type of bullying?
Martin: No, I've never seen anything like it, personally. I'll be really interested to see the final facts. In a situation like this, you have to get all the facts and make a judgment. When I was playing, there's no way I'd be aware of a situation like this and not address it. I take this issue very seriously. I hear a lot of people saying a lot of things. People say [the Dolphins] had to know it was going on, but that's not necessarily true. Really, I'd rather wait until we have all the facts before I say anything more about it.
How did you get to know Stephen Ross?
Martin: We've had some interactions in the past. I definitely have a lot of respect for him. From his words, I think he appreciates the way I think about things.
When you retired in 2007, you said you were close to becoming involved in the ownership of an NFL team A short time later, Ross purchased the Dolphins. Were you talking to him about becoming a part owner of the Dolphins?
Martin: When I was freshly retired and looking to buy into team, he was one of the guys generous enough to give me good advice. I was seeking out the expertise and experience from different owners. I wanted to talk to some owners who had been around a long time, and I wanted to talk to new owners.
Let's talk about the Jets. Are you surprised they're doing so well?
Martin: I don't necessarily feel surprised about it. I always like to see how things play out. I'm glad they're doing well. Say what you want, but 5-4 is encouraging. There's a lot of potential there. Geno [Smith] is growing and growing.
What do you think their record would be if Mark Sanchez still were the quarterback?
Martin: That’s a real guess. To be honest, if I knew, I’d say. Sanchez has had pretty decent years, but I like Geno’s talent. He’s versatile. He has escapability, along with a pretty good arm. Once this kid totally understands the game … I equate it to chess. When I started to learn to play chess, I made some good moves, but I didn't have a sense of the whole board. It's the same thing with playing quarterback. You have to know where everybody is on the field. That will come in time. Geno will be very dangerous as he develops that quality.
You're also a member of the Super Bowl XLVIII committee. How's that going?
Martin: It's been a learning experience. I always thought the teams just showed up at the game, there was more traffic and that was all there was to the Super Bowl. But it's so much more than that. You have to work with the lighting on the field, transportation, sponsorships. What if it snows? It's really a huge, huge task to put on a Super Bowl. Woody Johnson wanted me to sit in on the committee, on hehalf of the Jets, and I consider it a tremendous honor. This is going to be one of the biggest, best Super Bowls ever.