Charles Martin (football player)

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Charles Martin (football player)
Date of birth	August 31, 1959
Place of birth	Canton, Georgia
Date of death	January 26, 2005
Position(s)	Defensive Tackle
College	Livingston University
Team(s)
1983 1984-87 1987 1988	Birmingham Stallions (USFL) Green Bay Packers Houston Oilers Atlanta Falcons

Charles Martin was a professional football player, who is best known for his days with the Green Bay Packers.

Martin was most (in)famous for proudly displaying a handtowel in pregame warmups with the numbers of Chicago Bears stars listed on it, and allegedly claimed it was a "hit list" for the game. Martin was allowed to wear the towel in the game, and after a Jim McMahon interception he sauntered over to the quarterback from behind, grabbed McMahon and body slammed him into the rock-hard artificial turf. Martin hovered over McMahon and taunted the fall quarterback until being pushed away by Bears offensive tackle Jimbo Covert. Pandemonium ensued as the play was one of the most blatantly illegal in NFL history. For his actions, Martin was suspended for two games, the longest suspension for an on-field incident until Albert Haynesworth of the Tennessee Titans was suspended for five games for stomping on the head of Dallas Cowboys center Andre Gurode on October 1, 2006.

This incident is considered a low point of the legendary Bears-Packers rivlary, and underscored the hatred between coaches Mike Ditka of the Bears and Forrest Gregg of the Packers.

Having played college ball at Livingston University, he began his pro football career with the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL in 1983. Martin played for the Packers from 1984-87. He also played for the Oilers in 1987 and the Falcons in 1988.

Martin died in 2005 due to complications from kidney failure. A reference to the hit on McMahon was made in the eulogy during his funeral.