He has said it time and time againe, but Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin absolutely hates the nickname that was given to him during his college days: The Muscle Hamster. The moniker refers to Martin’s short stature (5-foot-9) and muscular build, but he really wishes it would stop.
In fact, Martin has basically been begging the general public to kill the nickname since he entered the league back in 2012. In a piece on NFL.com titled “Doug Martin wants to lose ‘Muscle Hamster’ forever” earlier this summer, Martin had this to say:
“The name ‘Muscle Hamster’ is the worst nickname possibly ever given to somebody,” Martin told USA Today at Bucs minicamp on Wednesday. “I hope it changes, and I hope that I play to a level where my nickname changes. That’s what my goals are.”
The NFL clearly wasn’t paying attention because, on Monday, the league’s official Twitter account posted this Martin highlight using the dreaded nickname.
Doug Martin.
Currently bouncing off defenders and breaking tackles like 2012 Muscle Hamster. #CINvsTB http://t.co/561EEXaAmm
— NFL (@NFL) August 25, 2015
Poor guy. Martin ended up seeing the tweet and — once again — politely requesting that the name not be associated with him.
https://twitter.com/DougMartin22/status/636387105321697280
To their credit, whoever runs the league’s Twitter made good with Martin by promptly agreeing to honor his request.
@DougMartin22 You got it. Looking good nonetheless.
— NFL (@NFL) August 26, 2015
(Via SB Nation)