Jamie Blane Martin (born February 8, 1970) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
(NFL) and
NFL Europe
NFL Europe League (simply called NFL Europe and known in its final season as NFL Europa League) was a professional American football league that functioned as the developmental minor league of the National Football League (NFL). Originally ...
. He was signed by the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC Wes ...
as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who i ...
in 1993. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football in the United States, American football rules first gained populari ...
at
Weber State.
Martin was also a member of the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...
,
Jacksonville Jaguars,
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conferenc ...
,
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
,
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
,
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's Nationa ...
, and
Amsterdam Admirals football teams.
Early years
Martin attended
Arroyo Grande High School
Arroyo Grande High School (AGHS) is an American public high school located in Arroyo Grande, California. It serves grades 9–12 as part of the Lucia Mar Unified School District (LMUSD).
Campus
The majority of classrooms are arranged in rows, s ...
in
Arroyo Grande, California
Arroyo Grande (Spanish language, Spanish for "Big Creek") is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. The population was 18,441 as of the 2020 census, up from 17,252 as of the 2010 Census. ...
. He led his team to the
California Interscholastic Federation championship in 1987.
College career
Martin starred at
Weber State University from 1989 to 1992. As a freshman, he played in eight games, but showed few glimpses of his future greatness. Martin struggled as he adjusted to football at the college level; he completed just 86 of 233 passes for 1,175 yards and nine touchdowns.
The next year (1990) was Martin's break-out season. He completed 256 of 428 passes for 3,700 yards and 23 touchdowns. He led the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
Division I-AA in passing (336.4 yards per game) and total offense (337.6 yards per game). He was named to the First-team All-
Big Sky Conference.
Martin followed his strong sophomore campaign with a spectacular junior year (1991). He completed 310 of 500 passes for 4,125 yards and 35 touchdowns. He again led the Division I-AA in passing (375.0 yards per game) and total offense (394.3 yards per game). With Martin at the helm, Weber State's offense averaged 578.5 yards per game, setting a national record. Martin set Division I-AA records for pass completions (47), passing yards (624), and total offense yards (643) in a game against
Idaho State
, mottoeng = "The truth will set you free"
, established =
, former_names = Academy of Idaho(1901–1915)Idaho Technical Institute(1915–1927)University of Idaho—Southern Branch(1927–1947)Idaho State ...
. He also had a spectacular performance against
Eastern Washington, throwing seven touchdown passes in that game. For his efforts, Martin was named First-team
All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
n and was awarded the
Walter Payton Award, given annually to the top Division I-AA player in the nation.
His senior season (1992) was solid, but his statistics declined from the previous year. He finished with 282 completions in 383 attempts, totaling 3,207 yards and 20 touchdown passes. He led the Big Sky in passing (291.5 yards per game) and earned Third-team All-American honors. Martin finished his career as the all-time leader in passing (12,207 yards) and total offense (12,287 yards) in the history of Division I-AA football. His 87 career touchdown passes were a Big Sky record. He played in the 1993
East–West Shrine Game
East West (or East and West) may refer to:
* East–West dichotomy, the contrast between Eastern and Western society or culture
Arts and entertainment
Books, journals and magazines
*''East, West'', an anthology of short stories written by Salm ...
and the
Hula Bowl.
Professional career
First stint with Rams
Despite his tremendous collegiate career, Martin was not drafted into the NFL. He signed a free agent contract with the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC Wes ...
in 1993. He spent four seasons with the Rams franchise (two in Los Angeles, two after the team moved to St. Louis). He played in nine games with the
Amsterdam Admirals of the
NFL Europe
NFL Europe League (simply called NFL Europe and known in its final season as NFL Europa League) was a professional American football league that functioned as the developmental minor league of the National Football League (NFL). Originally ...
in 1995. He saw his first action in the NFL in 1996, playing in six games with the Rams.
Washington
Martin spent 1997 as third-string quarterback for
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...
of the NFL.
First stint with Jaguars
After one season in Washington, Martin joined the
Jacksonville Jaguars for the 1998 season. He played in four games with the Jaguars; his first pass attempt against
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
went for a 67-yard touchdown. His first career start came December 13 against
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...
, but an ACL injury in that game ended his season. He finished 1998 with 27 completions for 355 yards and two touchdowns; his final passer rating was 99.8 points.
Cleveland Browns
Martin joined the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conferenc ...
for the 1999 season, but spent most of the year on the inactive list.
Second stint with Jaguars
Martin re-joined the Jaguars in 2000, and saw limited action in five games.
Second stint with Rams
Martin had his second stint with the Rams from 2001–2002. He saw significant playing time in 2002 filling in for injured quarterback
Marc Bulger. He played in 5 games, starting two of them, throwing for 1,216 yards with 7 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
New York Jets
Martin spent 2003 with the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
, but did not appear in a game for them.
Third stint with Rams
Martin joined the Rams for the third time in 2004 and spent two seasons with the team.
New Orleans Saints
Martin joined the Saints in 2006 and served as a backup to
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees i ...
for two seasons.
San Francisco 49ers
On September 10, 2008, Martin was signed by the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's Nationa ...
after
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honors and won the ...
was placed on
injured reserve
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
. The move reunited Martin with 49ers offensive coordinator and former Rams head coach
Mike Martz.
Current
On April 4, 2012, Martin, a drum player, founded Explode the Moon, an electric rock band that does cover songs. He is also the offensive coordinator for Parkway West High School in Ballwin, Missouri. Jamie’s wife coaches the Parkway West varsity cheerleaders. Jamie recently took ownership of Circa Pub & Grill, a restaurant in Des Peres, MO that serves traditional St. Louis dishes.
On November 15, 2014, at halftime of Weber State's victory over the
University of Northern Colorado
The University of Northern Colorado (UNC) is a public university in Greeley, Colorado. The university was founded in 1889 as the State Normal School of Colorado and has a long history in teacher education. The institution has officially changed ...
, his #10 jersey was retired by Weber State University.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Jamie
1970 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Santa Ana, California
American football quarterbacks
Weber State Wildcats football players
Amsterdam Admirals players
Los Angeles Rams players
St. Louis Rams players
Washington Redskins players
San Diego Chargers players
Jacksonville Jaguars players
New Orleans Saints players
Cleveland Browns players
New York Jets players
San Francisco 49ers players
Walter Payton Award winners
Players of American football from Los Angeles
People from Arroyo Grande, California
People from Orange, California