The Las Vegas Raiders have announced the passing of Rod Martin. He was 72 years old.
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"A beloved member of the Raiders Family and a favorite of Raiders fans everywhere, the deepest condolences of the entire Raider Nation are with Rod's family at this time," the team said in a statement on Monday.
A defender out of the University of Southern California, Martin landed with the Raiders as a 12th-round pick in the 1977 Draft. He only appeared in one game as a rookie, but he became a significant contributor in 1978 and beyond.
Martin spent 12 seasons with the Silver and Black. He appeared in 165 games while starting 147 of them. He earned All-Pro honors during the 1984 season.
He also earned trips to the Pro Bowl in both 1983 and 1984 after leading the NFL in interceptions returned for touchdowns. He returned two picks for scores in 1983. He returned a fumble for a score and registered a safety in 1984.
Rod Martin was a standout linebacker who helped the franchise to victories in Super Bowls XV and XVIII.
He forever secured his place in Raiders lore with a record-breaking three-interception performance in the Silver and Black’s Super Bowl XV triumph over the Eagles. pic.twitter.com/Ytrz98WFK8
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) April 20, 2026
Martin intercepted 14 passes from the linebacker position, and he returned four for scores. He added 10 fumble recoveries with two scores and 56.5 sacks. He played before the NFL fully tracked tackles, so this statistic remains murky.
The West Virginia native played an important role for the Raiders during the regular season, but he made a bigger impact in the biggest games.
Martin set an NFL record during Super Bowl 15 as he intercepted Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski three times. The first of these interceptions occurred on the third play from scrimmage. Jaworski tried to fit a dart between Martin and another linebacker, but the pass ended up in the hands of the big defender.
The Raiders went on to win 27-10. The defender's record still stands to this day.
He made another significant impact during Super Bowl 18 as the Raiders defeated the Joe Gibbs-led Redskins 38-9. Martin posted five tackles, one sack, and a fumble recovery.
