Doug Martin’s family is shedding more light on the ex-NFL star’s death, revealing that the 36-year-old privately struggled with mental health issues over the years. They were actively trying to get him help prior to his passing.
Martin’s former agency, Athletes First, shared a statement on behalf of the family on Monday. The statement explained how Martin’s parents had contacted local authorities earlier that night for “medical assistance.”
According to the family, Doug became “overwhelmed and disoriented,” which led him to leave the home and enter a neighbor’s residence two doors down the street. It was there that he was taken into custody.
Oakland Police reported that responding officers experienced a “brief struggle” with Martin during his detainment, after which he became unresponsive. Paramedics rushed him to the hospital, where he later died.
The family emphasized that Martin’s mental health issues, away from the public eye, “profoundly impacted his personal and professional life.” Ultimately, they said, mental illness proved to be the one opponent from which Doug could not run.
https://www.tmz.com/2025/10/20/doug-martin-mental-episode-death-details/
