Patience pays off for Panthers S Sherrod Martin

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)

For a speedy guy, football success has come slowly for Sherrod Martin. He had to wait a year after high school before enrolling at Troy, then was hampered by two shoulder surgeries and a broken hand in college. Martin was buried on the depth chart at cornerback in his first training camp with Carolina. The Panthers then moved him to safety, only to see him slowed by a bruised knee. Two months of waiting ended Sunday, when an injury forced the 25-year-old rookie into the starting lineup at free safety. Martin responded with two of Carolina's five interceptions in an upset win over Arizona, a performance that could earn the second-round pick the permanent starting job. "When they put him back there at the safety position, just watching him in practice, you could tell he felt very comfortable playing that position," reserve cornerback Dante Wesley said Wednesday. "To me, it really showed on Sunday how valuable he is." Forced into action because of Charles Godfrey's right ankle injury, Martin doubled Godfrey's interception total in his 22 games as a starter. Martin raced across the field to grab Kurt Warner's overthrown pass in the second quarter. Then after Chris Gamble forced a big hit to pop the ball free early in the fourth quarter, Martin was there for another pick that set up a field goal for a 31-14 lead. "It was just me running to the ball, something we preach about," Martin said. "It just put me in the right place at the right time." It appears the 6-foot-1, 198-pound Martin is now playing the right position, too, after taking a difficult path to the NFL. He was in Troy's recruiting class coming out of high school, but didn't enroll until the following January and spent a year out of football. He then had surgery on both shoulders that forced him to redshirt as a junior. He returned the following season only to be slowed by a broken hand. He then moved from cornerback to safety as a senior and had an NCAA record three interceptions in one quarter against Alcorn State. "It just made my work ethic better. Two shoulder surgeries, a broken hand, I always felt like I was behind," Martin said. "So I really take a lot a pride in working out in the weight room and things like that, the little things." When Carolina took the Griffin, Ga., native with the 59th pick in April's draft, the Panthers figured he'd be the No. 3 cornerback. The job was open after Ken Lucas was released and Richard Marshall was promoted to starter. "He's kind of a tweener guy. He was in college, both as a corner and as a safety," coach John Fox said. "It's a good skill set to have." But Martin soon became lost in training camp. He plunged down the depth chart after being outplayed by seventh-round pick Captain Munnerlyn, who earned the nickel back job. "Captain, he's really been doing a real good job. We motivate each other. We talk on and off the field," Martin said. "When you see somebody with you doing good it only pushes you and forces you to take your game to the next level, also." Injuries led the Panthers to switch Martin to safety, but he bruised his knee in the third exhibition game and was relegated to special teams once the regular season started. That changed when Godfrey was hurt in Carolina's loss to Buffalo on Oct. 25. The Panthers entered the Arizona game with only three interceptions in six games. They intercepted Warner five times, with Martin taking two game balls home with him. "I couldn't have asked it any other way," Martin said of his debut. Godfrey was no longer in a cast Wednesday, but he didn't practice. Martin figures to start again Sunday against unbeaten New Orleans and its No. 1 ranked offense. Fox was noncommittal when asked if Godfrey would regain his starting job when he's healthy again. If Martin turns in a repeat performance, it may be Godfrey's turn to wait. "When his opportunity came he made the best of it," Marshall said of Martin. "He made some great plays for the defense and we hope he continues to do it this week." NOTES: QB Jake Delhomme practiced after sitting out the fourth quarter Sunday with a chest injury. ... FB Brad Hoover (ankle) and backup Tony Fiammetta (concussion) both missed practice, leaving no healthy player at the position. ... WR Muhsin Muhammad (knee) remained sidelined, while RB Jonathan Stewart (Achilles' tendon) took his normal Wednesday off. ... DE Julius Peppers is the NFC's defensive player of the week after an interception return for a touchdown and a sack and forced fumble against the Cardinals.