Former Boise State star Doug Martin helps Boise Radical Mutual Aid feed the homeless
Former Boise State and NFL running back Doug Martin enjoys skateboarding through the neighborhoods near his home in Oakland, California.
It helps him clear his head and formulate a plan for his future, but he rarely makes it very far before stopping to offer a meal to someone less fortunate.
The California native has been in Boise for about three months, and on Monday, he joined Boise Radical Mutual Aid to help the homeless in the city he fell in love with while playing for the Broncos from 2007 to 2011. Boise Radical Mutual Aid is a loose collective of community volunteers who have come together during the coronavirus pandemic to support neighbors in need.
In what has become a weekly ritual, the group gathers near CATCH at Americana Boulevard and West Cooper Street to offer Boise’s homeless population a home-cooked meal and donated clothing and outdoor gear. CATCH is a nonprofit that helps find housing for the homeless.
“They’re the forgotten people in our society, and they need help,” Martin said Monday. “I’m just happy that all these people here are able to assist them because they need it.”
Martin and former teammate Charles “Chuck” Hayes showed up with armfuls of pizzas. Burgers were also on the menu, and a folding table was lined with foil containers of homemade lasagna. Nonperishable food and tents, sleeping bags, bottles of propane and even a fishing pole were also handed out. The event and donations were organized through one of several Idaho Mutual Aid pages on Facebook.
Boise Radical Mutual Aid has been serving the meal at 5 p.m. every Monday for about a month, according to volunteer Anthony Yenason.
“We’re constantly reminded of what we’re able to do and that we should do what we can,” Yenason said.
Monday marked Shannon Jones’ first time volunteering at the meal. She is the general manager at R Bar, a pub on Broadway Avenue. She was convinced to join during a conversation with one of her employees about ways to stay busy while the bar is closed during Idaho’s phased reopening.
After loading paper plates with heaping portions of lasagna, she left impressed with the sheer amount of food and donations that were collected.
“Everybody is out of work, and it can be difficult to get food,” Jones said. “Even if you have the resources, just going to the grocery (store) can be difficult right now. So coming down here and seeing all this is amazing.”
Martin came to Boise for Hayes’ birthday and decided to stay when states began imposing travel restrictions and stay-home orders. He plans to be in town until early June.
“I was lucky to get caught in Boise during this,” Martin said, adding that being in town gave him a chance to catch up with former teammates Jeremy Avery, Aaron Tevis and Derrell Acrey.
In 2011, Martin was a first-team All-Mountain West selection, and he ranks No. 5 in Boise State history with 43 career rushing touchdowns and No. 6 with 3,431 rushing yards.
In 2012, Martin was taken in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That season, he rushed for 1,454 yards and was a finalist for offensive rookie of the year. He rushed for 1,402 yards in 2015, but the Buccaneers released him following a career-low 406 yards in 2017.
He spent the 2018 season with the Oakland Raiders and replaced Marshawn Lynch as the starter after he was placed on injured reserve. Martin had his most productive season since 2015, finishing with 723 rushing yards and averaging 4.2 yards a carry, but after suffering a preseason injury, he was released by the Raiders in August 2019.
Martin, 31, isn’t currently on an NFL roster. He isn’t sure yet if he’s done with football, but he’s also not in any rush to figure it out.
“Right now, I’m just enjoying life and deciding what I want to do,” he said. “I’m using this down time to decide where I want to go with my career.”
This story was originally published May 12, 2020 at 11:20 AM.
