Martin (suspension) feels that the treatment he underwent early in 2017 after receiving a four-game suspension had a significant all-around impact on him, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports. "It was definitely worth it," said Martin. "I definitely turned a negative into a positive and I'm out here and I'm definitely a stronger person because of it. I was [in treatment] to the point where I'm strong now, mentally strong and physically strong."
Martin has reportedly looked sharp in OTAs thus far and has stated that the hamstring troubles that plagued him during 2017 are behind him. The veteran tailback has also been upbeat, noting that the therapeutic process he underwent while in treatment thoroughly prepared him for a return to the team environment. Although the Bucs will still be without him for the first three games of the regular season while he finishes serving out his aforementioned four-game ban, Martin will be able to prove his physical and mental fitness throughout training camp and preseason. For his part, head coach Dirk Koetter sees plenty of encouraging signs when observing Martin's current on-field work. "I think just from my own experience, when Doug is practicing like this -- when he's finishing plays, when he's got that burst, got that pep in his step -- it's carried over to the field," said Koetter.