In a way, Tee Martin came full circle on Sunday. For the first time in 21 years, the 45-year-old’s football job took him back to Europe. In 2002, in front of 53,000 people as quarterback of the Rhein Fire, he lost the World Bowl final against the Berlin Thunder in Düsseldorf’s Rheinstadion. On Sunday, as quarterback coach of the Baltimore Ravens, he was responsible for preparing superstar Lamar Jackson for the NFL’s London Game against the Tennessee Titans.
Martin apparently did well, as the Ravens defeated the Tennessee Titans 24:16 in the last game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and Lamar Jackson played convincingly, throwing Baltimore’s only touchdown of the day to Zay Flowers. The Ravens currently lead the AFC North with a record of 4-2 wins.
With a view to returning to London, Tee Martin shared his memories of his year in NFL Europe, his year as Rhine Fire quarterback, in an interview with the football portal “A head for the Game”. “Just this week I was talking to Lamar about what it was like playing in Europe,” Martin said. “It was fun playing in the league. I had a really good time, got to see a lot of Europe, and the best thing was that we didn’t leave straight away after games. This gave you time to see a city a bit more.”
Tee Martin was a fifth-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2001 draft. But he didn’t really make the jump to the NFL; it was difficult to get playing time as a backup. So he took the opportunity to gain match practice in NFL Europe and put on the Rhein Fire jersey. And with this Rhein Fire he actually reached the World Bowl in Düsseldorf in the 2022 season. It was the last game in the Rheinstadion before it was demolished. And it was lost 20:26.
Looking back, you can probably say that Rhein Fire reached the final with Tea Martin and not thanks to him. 49.8 percent successful passes, five touchdowns, six interceptions – that doesn’t paint a picture of a QB who has carried his team to success.
In February 2002, before the start of the season, the Rheinische Post had this to say about Tee Martin and his signing: “He is said to be very mobile, is considered a throwing quarterback and is right-handed, although he otherwise prefers to do everything with his left. For head coach Pete Kuharchek, who joined from Orlando, Martin is the preferred candidate. Offensive coordinator Mike Jones attests to the man from Pittsburgh’s leadership qualities.”
But the preferred candidate ended his trip to Europe after one season. Martin then went back to the States and tried to get into the NFL again with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Oakland Raiders, but in vain. The Raiders had at least two appearances in 2003.
But the NFL didn’t give up on Martin as a dream. And he fulfilled this years later on his way as a coach. After various positions in college football, he has been on the Ravens staff since 2021, first as wide receivers coach and since this season as quarterbacks coach. The fact that he is where he is today is partly thanks to his decision to take on the adventure of Europe as a player. Looking back, Tee Martin is sure of that. “I matured there. I learned a lot. “It changed the way I look at the world,” he said on “A head for the game.”
And maybe it won’t be another 21 years after Sunday before Tee Martin goes back to Europe for work.
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