Martin, Brown share a bond

Martin could make it 10 straight 1,000-yard seasons today.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Curtis Martin figured it was just another mismatch, no different than some linebacker trying to cover him.
This old guy wanted to arm wrestle him. Please, the New York Jets running back thought as he sized up the competition, you're like 65. But the senior citizen insisted, so Martin figured he'd pin him and rejoin the party.
But Jim Brown never went down easily -- in anything.
"I couldn't believe it," Martin said of his first encounter with the former Cleveland Browns great, now one of his good friends. "He was talking about how strong he was and he said, 'Put your arm up there.' The guy is strong. He put me to shame. He had a little struggle, but it wasn't too long before he put me down."
Martin has gotten the better of Brown ever since.
Numbers
Earlier this season, he passed the Hall of Famer on the NFL's career rushing list. Currently seventh with 12,653 yards, Martin can move up another spot and make some history today when the Jets (6-3) face the Browns (3-6) in a key game for both teams.
Going into the matchup, Martin has gained 984 yards, leaving him 16 shy of joining Barry Sanders as the only backs in league history to begin their careers with 10 straight 1,000-yard seasons.
Brown didn't play 10 years, picking up 12,312 yards in nine before packing up his helmet and shoulder pads at the peak of his playing career to make movies. Sanders, too, bowed out before he was done.
The 31-year-old Martin shows no signs of slowing. And as has been his style since being drafted in the third round out of Pittsburgh by New England in 1995, the humble Martin is downplaying any personal success.
"In the midst of it, it hasn't really hit me as like, 'You have accomplished this, you have accomplished that,' " said Martin, just 87 yards behind Tony Dorsett (12,739) for fifth on the career list -- although Pittsburgh's Jerome Bettis is even closer to Dorsett. "When I am done, I think it'll be something great that I can go back and watch some films with my kids, when I have them, and say, 'Look, there's goes your daddy right there.'
"I really relish that. I think that will be one of the best parts about it."
Something is missing, though. And Martin would gladly erase his name from any record book to acquire it.
"The one that I'm trying to accomplish," he said, "is winning the Super Bowl."
The Jets need to bounce back if they're ever going to get him to one.
After opening 5-0, they've lost three of their last four and trail the first-place Patriots by two games in the AFC East. The playoffs, which seemed a certainty a few weeks ago, are fading into the distance.
Painful loss
Last week's 20-17 overtime loss to Baltimore was particularly painful. The Jets were again guilty of clock mismanagement, a problem that has plagued coach Herman Edwards since he took over in 2001.
"These are the kind that put a dagger in your heart," Martin said afterward. "The kind that hurts the most."
In a league where players are often celebrated for their outrageous behavior on the field and the problems they find off it, Martin stands apart. He's not flashy, arrogant or troublesome.
Like Brown did before him, Martin makes tacklers look silly and then handles the aftermath with grace. He's the anti-Terrell Owens. An avid art collector, Martin is an impressive piece himself.
He has scored 82 career touchdowns, nine this season, but has never punctuated any of them with a dance.
"I don't think I ever saw Curtis spike a ball," said former Buffalo Bills star Thurman Thomas. "You have to admire a person like that who wants to win games and doesn't care about his stats. The only thing he cares about is winning."
During a conference call this week, Martin raised a few eyebrows by saying he wasn't a big football fan. However, he does have great respect for the NFL and its history, which is apparent every time he crosses the goal line.
"I think the world of the NFL, but different people see things in different ways," he said. "I may score a touchdown and just put the ball down and go and sit on the bench. Then you see Terrell, who may celebrate. I don't think there's anything wrong with that."
Shared values
Since that first wrestling match, Martin's friendship with Brown has blossomed. They've spent hours discussing their shared values, spirituality and belief they can make a difference in the lives of others.
"We have a great deal of respect for each other," Martin said. "I'm always looking for his wisdom. He can relate to what I'm going through, being a running back in the NFL, moving up in yardage and moving up in age. Just dealing with life."
The two now enjoy competing against each other on a cerebral level. The wrestling days are over.
"He's my chess partner. We play for six or seven hours," said Martin, who refused to say who had the upper hand.
"He knows and I know," he said.