Through the first half of the NFL season, Curtis Martin is the AFC's Most Valuable Player.

Who?

You know, Curtis Martin, the New York Jets' featured back who too few people know about because he's such a quiet, unassuming man without a self-promoting bone in his body.

	Curtis Martin leads the NFL with 917 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.

Here's our measure of who's valuable: Take Martin away from the Jets this season and what you would have is a team struggling to stay out of last place in the AFC East instead of the one that's playing the Dolphins on Sunday for first place.

Martin, quite simply the most dependable back in the league, leads the NFL with 917 rushing yards, a robust 4.7-yard average and a league-leading 10 touchdowns.

There are arguments that can be made for Jerome Bettis, who's second to Martin with 866 rushing yards. But, as good as Bettis is, the Steelers' defense seems dominant enough that it would have carried Pittsburgh to several wins without him.

Rich Gannon? Sure he's having a terrific season with 11 touchdowns and only one interception, but the Raiders are loaded with a lot of other weapons that would be capable of picking up slack without him.

Martin, who has five 100-plus-yard rushing games this season, has been the Jets' offense. Vinny Testaverde has only one 200-yard passing game.

"Just look at the percentage of time he's involved in our offense," Jets general manager Terry Bradway said of Martin. "He's our identity on offense right now."

Yet still, Martin does not get the attention he deserves.

"It's sort of strange how Curtis Martin can be in the Big Apple, the media capital of the world, and yet he really doesn't get what's due to him," former NFL all-time great running back Marcus Allen said. "That reflects what kind of person he is. He's not a vociferous, loquacious person, but his play has been as good and consistent as anyone in the league. He's having an extraordinary year."

Asked if he believes Martin is MVP material, Allen didn't hesitate. "Absolutely," said Allen, now a CBS Sports reporter. "Considering the numbers he's putting up and what he's meant to that team. The Jets' standing in (the AFC East) is a direct result of Curtis Martin. There's no question about it. Will he be able to maintain that? I hope so."

Former NFL running back and current CBS game analyst Craig James, who has worked three Jets games, including last Sunday's win over Kansas City, echoed Allen's belief that Martin is a clear choice as the AFC's MVP.

"Curtis Martin has been running so well he's allowed his team to figure itself out during the early part of the season with new systems to learn and still win," James told The New York Post. "At 5-3, the Jets were still trying to figure out if they were a team or not. Last week (against the Chiefs) proved they have the ability to be a team in all three areas.

"I base my belief in Curtis (being the MVP) on him being their comfort zone and allowing them to screw up and grow. Because Curtis has run so well, they were able handle the growing pains. Curtis has held them together while they learned those new systems."

Martin's teammates have noticed a richer fire in his desire this season. "Curtis is running with a new sense of purpose this year," Jets center Kevin Mawae said. "I've never seen him run better than he has this year."

Bradway recalled a moment this summer that he said he'll never forget. He and his son, Michael, had driven to the Jets' Long Island training facility from the New Jersey Shore on July 5.

When they arrived at the complex, they decided to put some shorts on and toss the football around.

	“	I'm thinking to myself, 'How many players in the NFL are out on a field on July 5 by themselves preparing for the upcoming season?' That's all I needed to know about Curtis Martin. ”
		— Terry Bradway, Jets GM

"We stopped by the office at 2:30 in the afternoon and nobody was there," Bradway recalled. "We'd given the whole building the weekend off. There was nobody there. Nobody. Mike and I went outside to throw the football around for a little while and when we got there we looked at the top practice field and there's Curtis. He was practicing his plays -- all by himself.

"I'm thinking to myself, 'How many players in the NFL are out on a field on July 5 by themselves preparing for the upcoming season?' That's all I needed to know about Curtis Martin.

"People want to make an argument for Jerome Bettis as the MVP?" Bradway went on. "They're making a big deal about 'The Bus.' It's, 'The Bus is rolling.' How many touchdowns has he scored?"

Bettis, who's second behind Martin in rushing yards, has scored three TDs to Martin's 10, and his Steelers have a game in hand.

"If he scores seven touchdowns in their next game he'll be tied with Curtis," Bradway said.

Martin for MVP?

"Oh definitely," said Miami Dolphins middle linebacker Zach Thomas, whose team is faced with stopping Martin on Sunday. "He's running their offense."

Martin for MVP?

"I would think so," Mawae said. "He's leading the league in rushing and he leads the league in touchdowns. What else does he need to do?"

Bradway marveled at Martin's humble demeanor.

"He's not a self-promoter," Bradway said. "When I watched him from afar (before joining the Jets), I respected him and knew he was a good player, but being around him like we are every day he's truly special. Everything about him is special on the field and off.

"I know every offseason he commits himself, but he was here more than in the past," Bradway added. "This year he was ready. He wanted to have a great season. Maybe that's why you're out there on July 5. I'll always tell that story."

AFC's midseason awards
Here's a look at our other midseason awards and observations in the AFC: