Vaughn Martin life and biography

Vaughn Martin (born April 18, 1986 in Jamaica) is a Canadian American football defensive end for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft, the first Canadian university football player drafted by an NFL team as an underclassman. He played university football at the University of Western Ontario.

A fourth-round draft pick out of the Canadian collegiate ranks, Martin gained valuable experience by playing in 10 games in 2009 as he adjusted to the jump to the NFL. Engaging and affable, Martin is a native of Negril, Jamaica. As a youth, the primary sports that he played were cricket and soccer. When Martin was nine, his mother, Doreen, married a man who lived in Toronto and Martin and his mother moved to Canada. They lived in Toronto and later moved to London, Ontario, which is where Martin learned to play hockey and football. He didn't play high school football until the 10th grade and played just two collegiate seasons at Western Ontario. In between, Martin played two seasons of summer ball for the Forest City Thunderbirds of the Central Ontario Football League, and he played for Team Canada at the 2006 NFL Global Championships. The Canadian squad went 5-0 and posted five shutouts, and Martin was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Martin also spent a year at the Milford Prep School in New York and he was ticketed to attend Michigan State after prep school, but a mixup over his transcripts prevented him from becoming a Spartan. That’s when he instead enrolled at Western Ontario where he spent just two seasons before throwing his hat into the NFL ring. Being drafted with three seasons of college eligibility remaining, Martin became the first Canadian underclassman to get drafted by an NFL team. He was a versatile player for the Mustangs and teammates nicknamed him "Vicious." Martin lined up at defensive end and tackle for the Mustangs and also played fullback in the team's short-yardage offense. Martin was one of the most intelligent players to emerge from the 2009 NFL Draft, having scored a 38 on the league’s Wonderlic Test.

TRANSACTION HISTORY: Fourth-round pick (113), April 26, 2009...signed four-year contract, July 25.

2009: Game Ball Jan. 3 vs. WAS after playing season-high 48 snaps.

COLLEGE: Led team to 2008 Canadian National Championship Game (Vanier Cup)...GoodLife Fitness Athlete of Week following ’08 game vs. Queen’s University...finished career with 92 TT, 7.5 sacks, 17.5 TFL, 22 QB pressures and INT TD...social sciences major.

PERSONAL: Born in Jamaica...prepped at London South Secondary School in London, Ontario.

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