Blake Martinez

Originally a 4th round (131st pick overall) draft choice by the Green Bay Packers in 2016…Signed as a free agent by the Giants on March 26, 2020. Martinez has played in 77 regular-season games with 73 starts and in 5 postseason games with 3 starts. He led his team in tackles each of the previous 4 seasons, 3 times in Green Bay and in 2020 with the Giants, and had double-digit tackle totals 31 times while starting each of the last 64 regular-season games. He is the only player in the league with at least 140 tackles in each of the past 4 seasons. His career totals include 671 tackles - almost 9 a game – including 437 unassisted stops, 13.0 sacks and 38 tackles for loss, plus 4 interceptions, 27 passes defensed, 3 forced fumbles and 3 fumble recoveries.

TRANSACTIONS:

• Originally a 4th round (131st pick overall) draft choice by the Green Bay Packers in 2016…Signed as a free agent by the Giants on March 26, 2020.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

• Martinez has played in 77 regular-season games with 73 starts and in 5 postseason games with 3 starts…Led his team in tackles each of the previous 4 seasons, 3 times in Green Bay and in 2020 with the Giants…Had double-digit tackle totals 31 times while starting each of the last 64 regular-season games… He is the only player in the league with at least 140 tackles in each of the past 4 seasons…Career totals include 671 tackles - almost 9 a game – including 437 unassisted stops, 13.0 sacks and 38 tackles for loss, plus 4 interceptions, 27 passes defensed, 3 forced fumbles and 3 fumble recoveries…Has 24 tackles (17 solo) in the playoffs…His career-high tackle total is 17, at Pittsburgh on Nov. 26, 2017 and he had a career-best 13 solo stops vs. New Orleans on Oct. 2, 2017.
• In his first season with the Giants in 2020, Martinez started all 16 games for the 4th consecutive season…Elected one of the team's captains…Led the Giants and was 3rd in the NFL with 151 tackles (86 solo). Martinez tallied at least 147 tackles for the 4th consecutive season…Also had 3.0 sacks, 9 tackles for loss, 6 quarterback hits, one interception, 5 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
• Martinez posted double-digit tackles in 8 games, including a season-high 14 (8 solo) vs. Washington (10/18)…In that game, he teamed with Dexter Lawrence to pressure Kyle Allen into throwing an incomplete pass on a potential game-winning 2-point conversion with 36 seconds remaining, clinching the Giants' first victory of the season…Made 13 tackles (8 solo) vs. Pittsburgh (9/14) and at the Rams (10/4)…In the season's final 3 games, he was credited with 12 (5 solo), 10 (7 solo) and 11 (6 solo) tackles, respectively…Recorded sacks at Chicago (9/20), vs. San Francisco (9/27) and vs. Dallas (1/3)…Intercepted an Alex Smith pass at Washington (11/8), his 4th career pick…Recovered a fumble by substitute quarterback Andy Dalton at the Cowboys' Dallas 17-yard line at Dallas (10/11), a takeaway that led to a Giants touchdown…It was Martinez's first recovery since Nov. 26, 2017, for Green Bay at Pittsburgh.
• In 2019, started all 16 regular-season games at middle linebacker for the 3rd consecutive season and helped lead Green Bay to an NFC best-tying 13-3 record and a berth in the conference championship game – despite playing with a broken hand during the season's 2nd half…Finished 2nd in the league with 155 tackles (97 solo), including 3.0 sacks and 5 tackles for loss…Added 1 interception, 2 passes defensed and 1 forced fumble…Martinez had double-digit tackle totals in 8 games, including a season-high 16 (8 solo) vs. Oakland (10/20…He also had 15 tackles (10 solo) vs. Philadelphia (9/26) and 13 stops (10 solo) vs. Minnesota (9/15)…Posted sacks at Chicago (a 6-yard stop of Mitch Trubisky on 9/5), at San Francisco (a 7-yard takedown of Jimmy Garoppolo on 11/24) and at Detroit (a 7-yarder of David Blough on 12/29)…Also intercepted his 3rd career pass vs. the Lions, picking off Blough and returning the ball 22 yards…Started both of Green Bay's playoff games and had 10 tackles (7 solo) in a victory vs. Seattle in an NFC Divisional Playoff Game (1/12) and 9 tackles (6 solo) in the conference championship game at San Francisco (1/19).
• In 2018, started all 16 games at middle linebacker and finished with a team-high 147 tackles (103 solo) after leading the team with 158 stops in 2017 to become the first Packer to do so in consecutive years since A.J. Hawk in 2012-13…Ranked No. 3 on the team with a career-high 5.0 sacks and with 10 tackles for loss...Tallied season-high totals of 14 tackles and 12 solo stops vs. Atlanta (12/9)…Made 12 tackles at Minnesota (8 solo on 11/25) and at the Rams (7 solo on 10/25)…Posted 11 tackles (9 solo) vs. Buffalo (9/30) and vs. San Francisco (10/15) and 10 tackles (9 solo) vs. Miami (11/11)…Had his only career 2-sack game while recording 6 stops (4 solo) at Detroit (10/7)…Added single sacks vs. Buffalo, at the Rams and at the Jets (12/23). 
• In 2017, started all 16 games and led the team with a career-high 158 tackles (107 solo) and a career-best 12 tackles for loss along with 1.0 sack, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 interception and 11 passes defensed (No. 2 on the team)...His tackle total ranks No. 8 in team history (since 1975) for a single season...Had a double-digit tackle total in 8 games…Registered a career-high 17 tackles (10 solo) at Pittsburgh (11/26). Also had 2 takeaways: a sliding interception of a Ben Roethlisberger pass and a recovery of a Le'Veon Bell fumble…Made 13 tackles (10 solo) at Dallas (10/8), the first of 4 consecutive games in which he reached double digits – 14 stops (12 solo) at Minnesota (10/15), 15 (13 solo) vs. New Orleans (10/22) and 12 (8 solo) vs. Detroit (11/6)…Sacked Matt Ryan for an 8-yard loss at Atlanta (9/17).
• As a rookie in 2016, played in 13 regular-season games with 9 starts…Ranked 5th on the team with 62 tackles (46 solo), 1.0 sack, 4 tackles for loss, 1 interception and 5 passes defensed...Registered 5 special teams tackles...Missed 3 games (Weeks 12-14) due to a knee injury...Played in all 3 postseason games with 1 start and recorded 5 tackles (4 solo), including 1 tackle for loss, and added 1 special teams tackle…Started the season opener and had a team high-tying 9 tackles (5 solo) and a special teams stop at Jacksonville (9/11)…Became the first Green Bay rookie to start on defense in Week 1 since linebacker Nick Perry in 2012…Led the team with a season-high 10 tackles (9 solo) at Tennessee (11/13)…Picked off his first career pass when he intercepted Matt Barkley and returned it 4 yards vs. Chicago (10/20)…Posted 3 solo tackles, including his first career sack when he tackled Matthew Stafford for a 5-yard loss at Detroit (1/1)…Started the NFC Wild Card game vs. the Giants (1/8) and finished with 3 tackles (1 solo). Left the game in the 2nd quarter due to a knee injury but returned in the 2nd half…Contributed 2 solo tackles in the NFC Championship Game at Atlanta (1/22).

COLLEGE:

• Played in 51 games, including starts in each of his last 27 contests, at Stanford from 2012-15…Finished his collegiate career with 257 tackles (137 solo), 13.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 5 interceptions and 5 forced fumbles…Helped Stanford make a bowl appearance all 4 years and win three Pac-12 titles (2012, 2013, 2015)…Played in 3 Rose Bowls, helping the Cardinal win 2…As a senior in 2015, started all 14 games and led the team with a career-high 141 tackles (75 solo)…Recorded 84 more tackles than the No. 2 tackler on the team…Notched 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 1 interception…Named 3rd-team All-America and first-team All-Pac-12 by AP…Totaled 10-plus tackles in 9 games, including tying his career-high 14 twice in the first 3 games of the season, at Northwestern (9/5) and at USC (9/19)…In 2014, started all 13 games and totaled a team-best 102 tackles (53 solo), 7 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 3 interceptions…Earned Pac-12 All-Academic honors…Registered 10-plus tackles in 4 games, including in back-to-back weeks vs. USC (Sept. 6) and vs. Army (Sept. 13)…In 2013, played in 10 games, recording 11 tackles (7 solo)…As a freshman in 2012, played in 14 games…Received Stanford's Greg Piers Service Team Award on defense, which honors outstanding scout-team players.

OFF-THE-FIELD ACTIVITY:

• Captain of the Team of Teams group that partnered with the Bronx Defenders throughout the 2020 season to transform how low-income people are represented in the justice system and transforming the system itself…Participated in a PSA for the Bronx Defenders to urge New York State to pass the Driver's License Suspension Reform Act…During Salute to Service month, played in a virtual video gaming event against military veterans from Wounded Warrior Project…Represented Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital, to honor his childhood friend Richard Blau, who passed away at 14 from osteosarcoma, during the NFL's Week 13 My Cause My Cleats initiative…Partnered with Project Sunshine, donated $54 for every tackle he made and provided over 750 activity kits to hospitalized children…Joined 125 members from the Lifestyle for the Disabled group on Zoom call to answer their questions.

PERSONAL:

• Married to Kristie…They have one daughter, Kinsley…Earned his degree in management science and engineering…Spent time in college working as an intern in commercial real estate…Attended Mountain View (Ariz.) High School (2008-09), Santa Rita (Tucson, Ariz.) High School (2009-10) and Canyon del Oro (Oro Valley, Ariz.) High School (2010-12)…Set the school record at Canyon del Oro with 247 tackles…Two-time Southern Arizona Player of the Year and PrepStar All-West Region…Played tight end, running back, linebacker and wide receiver…Registered 1,100 yards of total offense as a senior…Lettered one year in basketball and volleyball and 2 years in track.