Why was Doug Martin nicknamed 'Muscle Hamster'? All you need to know amid former Buccaneers RB's death at 36

Doug Martin has died at the age of 36. The professional football player was famous by the nickname "muscle hamster" because of his running power despite being small in size. Martin was reportedly 5 feet 9 inches tall.

While his fans have liked this name, Doug, in a 2016 interview with NESN, said:

"It doesn't sound cool at all. I mean, I don't think hamsters are intimidating, you know? So they're soft."

Revealing another nickname, he said:

"There's another nickname that's up on the list. I think the Dougernaut is what I probably prefer, but I also prefer my real name, Doug Martin. My name is Doug Martin, you know."

Who gave Doug Martin the nickname Muscle Hamster?

Doug Martin was given the nickname "Muscle Hamster" by Jarrell Root. When Martin revealed that he didn’t like the nickname, Root responded to this in a statement, which was reported by ESPN:

"I don't think it's ever going to leave him."

He continued:

"I don't think you can ever take back something like that. Imagine if 'The Fridge' didn't like being called 'The Fridge.' It doesn't matter. He's still going to be called 'The Fridge,' because no matter how you try to do it, if you have an interesting, interesting name, it's too rare. The damage is already done."

While Root learned that Martin disliked "Muscle Hamster" and liked "Dougernaut," he revealed that he would still support the new nickname while joking that he could keep teasing him about the nickname he gave him.

Martin played alongside Jarrell Root at Boise State University for three years, starting in 2008.

In a 2015 ESPN report, Root said Martin didn’t like the "Muscle Hamster" nickname, but it stayed, and they only saw how popular it was when a big hamster with his jersey showed up at their games.

Adding to the statement, Root said:

"We'd tease him a little, but you'd see how pissed off he would get. And we'd just be like, 'OK, come on. Maybe you should just chill out, man. You're good. You're fine.' [Martin would say,] 'Don't call me that. Don't call me that.' And I'm like, 'Dude, it's too late. Dude, it's too late. You can't stop it.' And I've been telling him for years, 'Come on, man. Just embrace it."

While Root called Martin a "Muscle Hamster," he also gave the same nickname to Martin’s college girlfriend.

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Also Read: When did Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft Doug Martin? Career highlights explored as 'Muscle Hamster' dies at 36

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