Appalachian State's most accomplished NFL punter, Sam Martin has spent 13 seasons flipping field position for four different teams.
Sam Martin has quietly built one of the more durable careers among current NFL punters, moving from Detroit to Denver to Buffalo before landing in Carolina. He remains the longest-tenured Mountaineer in the league.
Path to the league
Martin punted for Appalachian State, finishing third in school history with 226 punts for 9,397 yards. The Detroit Lions selected him in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Martin punted for the Lions from 2013 to 2019, posting his best statistical season in 2016 with a 48.6-yard gross average, then spent two seasons with the Broncos and three with the Bills. He has topped 37,000 career punting yards over more than a decade in the league.
2025 season recap
Signed by Carolina in March 2025, Martin punted 56 times for the Panthers with a 47.2-yard average and 27 punts downed inside the 20. He earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors in Week 7 after placing four of six punts inside the 20 in a win over the Jets, and he added three playoff punts for a 54.3-yard average.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Sam Martin (American football)
- Pro Football Reference: Sam Martin
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Punting
17 games played▶Punting · career
| Year | Team | GP | PUNTS | YDS | AVG | LNG | IN20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | panthers | 17 | 56 | 2,642 | 47.2 | 68 | 27 |
| 2024 | bills | 17 | 54 | 2,523 | 46.7 | 65 | 25 |
| 2023 | bills | 17 | 51 | 2,334 | 45.8 | 70 | 24 |
| 2022 | bills | 16 | 45 | 2,146 | 47.7 | 67 | 16 |
| 2021 | broncos | 17 | 67 | 3,083 | 46.0 | 68 | 28 |
| 2020 | broncos | 16 | 65 | 3,040 | 46.8 | 69 | 19 |
| 2019 | lions | 16 | 76 | 3,445 | 45.3 | 62 | 31 |
| 2018 | lions | 16 | 74 | 3,310 | 44.7 | 61 | 32 |
| 2017 | lions | 10 | 41 | 1,779 | 43.4 | 64 | 13 |
| 2016 | lions | 16 | 62 | 3,010 | 48.5 | 63 | 23 |
| 2015 | lions | 16 | 80 | 3,679 | 46.0 | 66 | 25 |
| 2014 | lions | 16 | 68 | 3,138 | 46.1 | 71 | 29 |
| 2013 | lions | 16 | 72 | 3,399 | 47.2 | 72 | 22 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Punter
- Group
- specialTeam
- College
- App State
- Hometown
- Fayetteville, GA, USA
- Age
- 36
- Status
- active
