Linebacker Rod Martin, who intercepted a record three passes in Super Bowl XV to give the Raiders their second Vince Lombardi Trophy, died on Monday, the team announced. He was 72.
The team announced Martin’s death in a social media post but did not specify a cause, The Athletic reported.
“The Raiders family is deeply saddened by the passing of Rod Martin, a standout linebacker and key player on two Super Bowl championship teams,” the Raiders said in a statement. “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.”
Martin, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, picked off three Ron Jaworski passes to help the Raiders to a 27-10 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV.
Quarterback Jim Plunkett won MVP honors for the game, but the votes were submitted before Martin’s third interception, The Athletic reported.
“How can the person who intercepted those passes not be named the MVP?” Martin told the Los Angeles Times’ Bill Plaschke in 1993. “I still can’t understand it. … We could have at least shared the award, and I think Jim even feels the same way.
“I don’t know if the record will ever be broken,” he added. “But I know it will not be broken by a linebacker.”
Three years later, Martin’s sack and a key stop on fourth-and-1 against bruising Washington running back John Riggins helped the Raiders to a 38-9 win in Super Bowl XVIII. Martin also recovered a fumble during the game.
Martin spent his entire 12-year NFL career at linebacker for the Raiders, intercepting 14 passes and returning four of them for touchdowns.
After Martin retired in 1983, he returned to his college alma mater (Southern Cal) and became a programmer in the school’s Information Sciences Institute, The Athletic reported.