Martin decides future can wait BY RICH CIMINI DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Curtis Martin still can't bring himself to say the 'R' word - retirement - but he reiterated yesterday that his career is all but over. He hopes to resolve his future after the Super Bowl. "This is a busy week for the NFL, with the Senior Bowl going on and the Super Bowl coming up," the Jets' all-time leading rusher said on a conference call with reporters. "When time permits, I'm going to get together with the team and figure out what the best thing to do is and when." Martin, who missed last season due to a degenerative knee condition, acknowledged that "football seems to be somewhat behind me." He plans to channel his energy and resources into his Job Foundation, which donates money to the underprivileged. He set aside 12% to 15% of "every check since I was a rookie" for his foundation - a considerable sum, considering he made more than $40 million in his career. Martin will be honored Tuesday at the 27th annual Thurman Munson Awards Dinner in Manhattan. Speaking of retiring, Martin said he wasn't blindsided by Bill Parcells' retirement Monday, but he didn't expect it, either. "I thought he might go another year or two, but it's not a big surprise," he said of his former coach, adding, "He's one of the best coaches - one of the best men - I've ever been around. He definitely left a stamp on my heart and on my career."
Curtis will always be known as a class act. You never seen him hot dogging or yapping himself up. He did his job and he did it extremely well, quietly. Always under the radar. I bet he goes into the HOF the first year he is eligible. :up::
Just because someone is a great player doesn't automatically make them a great coach... bring him in as an assistaint...
I think he's done and its too bad because he was fun to watch although not that much fun in 05. Keep Washington sign the Burner the Jets will be find.
I wonder if coaching is something that would be hard for him to do until he spends a few years away from the field. With his competitive spirit I could see him being conflicted with not being able to step on the field and do it himself. I want to say "like Mike", but Curtis is not a lot like Jordan with the exception of their competitive spirit. I just think it would be tough for him standing a yard away from the inbounds marker with football still fresh in his heart and mind. Give him a few years to do this thing and get his projects off the ground and if his heart is in it he will find his way back.
I agree.. if he wants to, let him. I'm all for it. It may be fustrating for him though as he's used to working so darn hard, and a lot of players do not do that. My point about $ is a lot of big time players these days do not coach because they're set. 20-30 yrs ago, guys needed to coach to make more $.
Curtis has made no bones about the fact that football has never been the highest priority for his life. He hadn't even seen an NFL game in it's entirety before he was drafted, and Mangini has already hinted numerous times this season that Curtis is pursuing his own financial projects/goals/charities/etc. Now, I don't think this rules out Curt eventually returning to the NFL in a coaching capacity, but I don't think it will happen anytime soon.
Just because Curtis was a hell of a player, doesnt mean that hes going into coaching. I thought that he said he wants out of football altogether.
You are correct twombles. He has been very specific with his words , and has said that should he retire then he doesn't want to be around the football field in ANY capacity. There are doers and watchers and my guess is that CM will find it very difficult to be around the players and locker rooms withour feeling fulfilled. Obviously not on the same page as CM here , but I tried to retire from football 3 times , but hung about and went back to the cost of my health. Finally I just had to face facts that I couldn't do it anymore , but I also couldn't watch in the stands either.
