Zack Martin Siblings: All About Josh and Nick Martin

Zack Martin, born on November 20, 1990, in Indianapolis, Indiana, is a former professional American football offensive guard who spent his entire 11-year NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys.

Renowned for his technical prowess, athleticism, and consistency along the offensive line, Martin emerged as one of the most dominant interior blockers of his generation.

A product of the Midwest football tradition, he honed his skills from a young age in Catholic youth leagues before starring at Bishop Chatard High School, where he contributed to back-to-back Indiana state championships.

After a stellar college tenure at the University of Notre Dame, Martin was selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft and quickly became a cornerstone of the Cowboys’ offensive line.

Siblings

Zack’s older brother, Josh Martin, paved the way in the family by playing on the same high school football team as Zack at Bishop Chatard, where he competed alongside his siblings during their championship-winning seasons.

Josh’s involvement in the sport provided early inspiration and competition for Zack, fostering a household dynamic centered around physical challenges and mutual support.

Zack’s younger brother, Nick Martin, followed closely in his footsteps, becoming a standout center who played college football at Notre Dame and enjoyed a nine-year NFL career, including stints with the Houston Texans and Las Vegas Raiders after being drafted in the second round in 2016.

Career

Martin’s path to NFL stardom began at the University of Notre Dame, where he redshirted in 2009 before anchoring the Fighting Irish’s offensive line as a left tackle from 2010 to 2013.

As a junior captain in 2012, he helped propel Notre Dame to a perfect 12-0 regular season and a berth in the BCS National Championship Game, earning consensus All-American honors.

Also Read: Vontae Davis Siblings: Getting to Know Vernon and Michael Davis

Returning for his senior year, Martin set a school record with 52 career starts and was named MVP of the 2013 Pinstripe Bowl, solidifying his status as one of the top linemen in college football.

Selected 16th overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2014 NFL Draft, famously ahead of quarterback Johnny Manziel, the Cowboys transitioned him from tackle to guard, a move that unlocked his full potential.

Martin started every game as a rookie at right guard, anchoring an offensive line that supported a resurgent Dallas rushing attack.

Over the next decade, Martin’s career epitomized durability and excellence, starting all 162 games he appeared in across 11 seasons, logging over 10,000 offensive snaps with remarkable efficiency.

He powered the Cowboys’ top-ranked rushing offenses in multiple years, notably in 2016 when Dallas led the league with 4.8 yards per carry, and protected franchise quarterbacks like Dak Prescott through high-volume passing schemes.

Challenges arose, including a knee injury in 2018 that sidelined him for his first career game, a calf strain in 2020 that landed him on injured reserve, and an ankle issue in 2023 that caused early-season absences.

Undeterred, he adapted by starting at right tackle in 2020 amid injuries to teammates and maintained elite play into his final years, signing a landmark six-year, $84 million extension in 2018 that made him the highest-paid guard in NFL history at the time.

In 2024, persistent ankle problems led to season-ending surgery after 10 starts, paving the way for his emotional retirement in February 2025, where he reflected on giving “everything I had” to the Cowboys organization that drafted and developed him.

Accolades

Martin was selected to nine Pro Bowls, spanning from his rookie season in 2014 through 2022, joining an elite cadre of offensive linemen like Joe Thomas in achieving such consistent recognition.

His All-Pro selections were equally impressive, earning first-team honors seven times, in 2014 as the only rookie on the Associated Press team, and again in 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023, while securing second-team nods in 2015 and 2017, for a total of nine All-Pro appearances.

As a rookie, Martin claimed the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team accolade, the first Cowboys offensive lineman to do so since 1969.

His peers consistently ranked him among the league’s elite, placing him 58th on the NFL Top 100 Players list in 2017 and 71st in 2018.

On a broader scale, Martin was named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, cementing his status as one of the defining guards of his era and a lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.