Super Bowl Star Martin Joins Pierce Football Staff

The Pierce College football team has gone All-Pro.

Rod Martin, who achieved that distinction three times in a 12-year career as a linebacker with the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders, has been hired as an assistant with the Brahmas.

Martin, an All-Pacific 8 Conference pick at USC in 1976 and a former junior college All-American at Los Angeles City College, will work primarily with Pierce’s linebackers.

“It’s always been in the back of my mind [to coach],” said Martin, who owns and operates a restaurant in Manhattan Beach.

“I coached a semipro team for a few years. . . . This opportunity came along. It’ll help fill a void for football.”

Martin, 41, first considered coaching at Pierce after meeting Brahma Coach Bill Norton during the taping of a television commercial.

Norton portrayed a coach and Martin his assistant for a fictitious team led by Emmitt Smith.

“He was real down to earth and real friendly,” Norton said of Martin. “He mentioned he wanted to get into coaching but it had to be somewhere local because of his restaurant.

“I called him after [last] season and asked him if he was still interested and he said he was.

“He wants to make an impact in kids’ lives and we are going to use his expertise.”

The Brahmas can use the help.

The Pierce defense is coming off two consecutive subpar seasons.

The Brahmas ranked last in the Western State Conference last season, allowing averages of 511.7 yards and 40.5 points.

They also were last in 1994, giving up 431.3 yards and 39.4 points.

Martin owns the Super Bowl record for most interceptions in a game with three in the Raiders’ 27-10 victory over Philadelphia in 1981.

He also had one of the longest fumble returns in club history, 77 yards against Kansas City in 1984.