National Football League
No oddities in Martin's pre-draft tests
National Football League

No oddities in Martin's pre-draft tests

Published Nov. 6, 2013 12:00 a.m. ET

The mental health issues currently being experienced by Miami Dolphins tackle Jonathan Martin weren’t foreseeable in his pre-draft psychological profile, FOX Sports has learned.

Martin registered extremely high marks on the testing conducted by the North Carolina-based scouting service Human Resource Tactics that is used by several NFL teams. A copy of the report obtained by FOX Sports showed Martin scored a perfect 10 for his overall profile as well as two subcategories of testing – affective commitment and combative attitude. He scored a 9 for dedication, self-efficacy and receptivity to coaching.

Martin’s lowest grades were given for social maturity (6), focus (7) and interpersonal style (7). Even so, those marks were well above those posted by most of Martin’s peers in the 2012 draft.

“Martin’s mental ability test results are consistently positive,” the report reads. “His matrices data place him well above the minimum typically associated with his position.

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“He is not afraid to say what is on his mind if things are not going as they should. He is likely to be seen as a team enforcer if his level of play lets him assume this role.”

Coincidentally, the player who had that role on the Dolphins — guard Richie Incognito — is the one with whom Martin has experienced the problems that led to him leaving the franchise to seek mental-health treatment.

As first reported by FOX Sports, Martin left the team last week after feeling he was being excessively bullied and harassed by Incognito and other teammates. The Dolphins have suspended Incognito as the NFL conducts an investigation into the situation and the workplace environment at team headquarters.

Martin was the 42nd overall pick in the 2012 draft after a standout college career at Stanford. He posted a score of 35 on the 50-question Wonderlic intelligence test given to draft prospects.

Although the HRT testing isn’t always an accurate indicator for future behavior, the results play a significant role for teams in the pre-draft evaluation process. Martin also was praised for physical grittiness in his HRT profile.

“Martin enjoys man-to-man challenges and the chance to compete,” the report said. “During games he will demonstrate a tough, no-holds-barred aggressive attitude that will help bring out the competitive spirit in his teammates. Martin has a very high level of dedication and desire to reach his full potential as a player, and he will set a good example of getting the most of one’s ability. He takes practices seriously and will work hard to improve his skills and technique. He has a strong passion for the game and being a good football player is a very high priority for him.

“Deep down, Martin has high expectations for himself and consistently feels that he can accomplish what he sets out to do on the field. Coaches will see that he will be able to shrug off bad breaks during a game and maintain confidence in his ability to succeed.”

The report also said the testing procedures “did not identify significant mental or motivational weaknesses” in Martin.

Martin, 24, had started every game of his NFL career for the Dolphins before abruptly leaving three days before last Thursday night’s game against Cincinnati. Martin remains on the Dolphins roster, but there is no timetable for his return or certainty that he will play for the franchise again.

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