On Saturday the Baltimore Ravens announced that they have hired former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Tee Martin as the team’s new quarterbacks coach. Martin will take over some of the responsibilities that were on the plate of David Culley, who served as Baltimore’s assistant head coach, wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator in 2020. Culley has since been hired as head coach of the Houston Texans.
Tee Martin is a Former Fifth-Round Pick of the Steelers
Tee Martin entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick of the Steelers in the 2000 NFL Draft (No. 163 overall) out of the University of Tennessee. He is most famous for being one of the six quarterbacks selected ahead of Tom Brady in 2000. He is also well-remembered by Tennessee Vols football fans, having led the Volunteers to a 13-0 National Championship season in 1998.
But he never got much playing time in the NFL, appearing in just a handful of games for the Steelers and Oakland Raiders before his NFL audition came to an end, having completed six of 16 passes for 69 yards with one interception.
In Pro Football Weekly’s 2000 Draft Preview, editor Joel Buchsbaum anticipated that Martin might struggle in the professional game, writing: Martin “is the most physically gifted quarterback in the draft, a willing worker, a team player and a good person. However, he must develop a much better feel for the passing game and become a much more accurate and consistent passer if he is going to start on the next level.”
After his brief tenure in the NFL, Martin went on to spend two years in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before beginning his coaching career. He also played quarterback for the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe in 2002.
Tee Martin’s College Coaching Journey
After Martin’s playing career concluded he spent three years coaching in the Atlanta area, first at Morehouse College (2006) and then at two different Atlanta area high schools.
His first collegiate job was at New Mexico in 2009, then it was on to the University of Kentucky (2010-11). Finally, he settled in at USC, spending seven years with the Trojans, where he served as offensive coordinator before moving into his latest role, as assistant head coach/wide receivers at the University of Tennessee. Notably, he coached 11 future NFL draft picks at USC, including Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, as well as Nelson Agholor (Eagles, Raiders) and Robert Woods (Bills, Rams). Nine of those draft choices were selected in the first three rounds.
“Tee is a natural, charismatic leader, whose bright offensive mind will benefit our young group of wideouts,” said Ravens head coach John Harbaugh on Saturday. “His history of coaching standout receivers on the collegiate level will translate well to the NFL.”
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