Zack Martin recalls Jerry Jones nearly drafting Johnny Manziel over him in 2014

The Dallas Cowboys owned 16th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft and used that selection on Zack Martin, an offensive lineman out of Notre Dame.

Fast forward 11 years later, and Martin has retired from football after a Hall of Fame career with the Cowboys. Martin turned out to be one of the franchise’s best draft selections under team owner Jerry Jones, but it almost didn’t happen. Johnny Manziel, the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, was still on the board and Jones had interest in bringing “Johnny Football” to Dallas.

Jones decided to make the “boring” pick instead. Martin, sitting next to Jones at his retirement press conference on Wednesday, joked that it took some convincing for Jones to make the pick.

“Even though it took some convincing, thank you for believing in me,” Martin said, per Jon Machota of The Athletic.

Martin added he didn’t think the Cowboys were interested in him back in 2014. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones reiterated that it took some convincing.

“Everyone was looking at their feet when Jerry asked who would be for the other guy [Manziel],” he said, via Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

Zack Martin destined for Canton after NFL retirement

Martin, 34, was as consistent as any player in the league over the last decade. A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Martin earned First-Team All-Pro honors in seven seasons. Only 13 players in NFL history have more First-Team All-Pro selections than Martin.

Martin had 6,659 pass protection snaps during his 11-year career in Dallas. During that time, he had zero accepted holding penalties in pass protection. For his entire career, he only had seven accepted holding penalties.

Before suiting up in the NFL, he enjoyed a dominant career with the Fighting Irish, where he started 52 career games. In doing so, he set a school record for the most starts in a career by an offensive lineman at the school. His senior year, he led an offensive line that allowed only eight sacks, ranking them second best in the FBS in that stat category. Martin was named MVP of the 2013 Pinstripe Bowl after Notre Dame won 29-16 over Rutgers. He became the first offensive lineman since 1959 (Jay Huffman) to earn that honor in a college bowl game. 

Martin will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2030. But before then, he’ll go into the Cowboys Ring of Honor, Jerry Jones said.

“There is a deep sense of pride that I was able to give everything I could to one team,” Martin said. “I gave everything I had, every single day for you guys.”