Texans have their ‘rock’
Center Martin anchors offensive line that returns all five starters
Nick Martin has been pushing and shoving for years while practicing a trade defined by power, leverage and technique.
To remain on top of his game, Martin requires the proper tools.
So the veteran center got creative this offseason when the Texans’ training facility was shut down due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Martin borrowed a weighted blocking sled from the team’s weight room to maintain his strength and simulate what it’s like to block an opponent.
It’s a strenuous full-body workout. “I did it in my front lawn, man,” Martin said. “The neighbors were giving me some looks. We had a couple walking a dog stop, like, ‘What are you doing? You play ball?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I play ball.’ ‘Who for?’ ‘The Texans.’ They were like, ‘All right, keep grinding.’ It was pretty funny.
“I like the sled. It’s really good work for the quads, the legs. You put weight on it, it’s like a drive block. It’s hard to get in football shape unless you’re playing football, but it kind of emulates a block. The work doesn’t stop whether the gyms are shut down, which is a wild situation, we all know.”
Named a Pro Bowl alternate for the first time last season, Martin is an accomplished fifth-year pro. The former second-round draft pick from Notre Dame has started every game the past two seasons. He allowed just two sacks last season and committed only four penalties for the defending AFC South champions.
“You hit on it with his leadership,” offensive coordinator Tim Kelly said of Martin. “He’s a rock. He’s in there every day. He’s a guy we can depend on to do the right thing.
“He’s always out there doing whatever he can in order to put the offense in the best position to be successful. He’s doing a really good job, and his play continues to get better each and every year.”
Martin returns for a line that brings back all five starters for the first time since the 2011 season, when the Texans won the division.
With Martin in the middle, Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, left guard Max Scharping, right guard Zach Fulton and right tackle Tytus Howard, the Texans’ line is a lot more settled than it was a year ago, when it was breaking in three new starters.
“It’s going to help a ton,” Martin said. “We’ve played together. Now it’s all about cohesion, kind of that nonverbal cues, getting inside each other’s heads because we’ve had that and worked it in real life.”
The younger brother of Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl guard Zach Martin, Nick Martin was signed to a three-year, $33 million contract at the beginning of last season that included $18.351 million guaranteed. Martin is now the second-highest paid center in the NFL behind the Buffalo Bills’ Mitch Morse.
Having the long-term financial security allows Martin to concentrate strictly on his craft.
“Yeah, absolutely, you focus on football,” Martin said. “Even with or without that, as long as you focus on the game, take it one day at a time, one practice at a time and then you play well in the game, that stuff usually takes care of itself. I’m very, very happy to be here for a long time in this organization.”
Martin has established a high standard, frequently blocking more than one defender per play. He’ll engage one defensive lineman, then peel off to pick off another with a crushing block.
Martin has also built a strong relationship with Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson, hanging out off the field and collaborating on the field to attack defenses.
“The relationship between the center and the quarterback is a really special thing,” Kelly said. “Him and Deshaun have a great relationship. They do a great job of studying the game together, especially when we’re preparing for an opponent so when we’re on the field, they’re really seeing things from the same set of eyes.”
That shared vision for Watson and Martin goes back to when they were roommates at The Greenbrier in West Virginia during Watson’s rookie year. It allows them to communicate crisply and direct the offense together.
“That relationship helps a ton,” Martin said. “He sees things; I see things. We trust each other, and that trust, that bond, is huge, and it really helps us, especially in games.”