Three years ago, defensive end Vaughn Martin was an out-of-place rookie.
He was the first Canadian (Western Ontario) underclassman drafted by an NFL team when the Chargers selected him (4th round, 113th overall) in 2009. He arrived 40 pounds heavier than he is today (now 6-4, 300) and he was apparently oblivious to San Diego's rivalry with the Raiders since he wore a silver and black track suit to an interview during his rookie orientation.
It was hard to envision Martin ever becoming a team leader back then. But a leader he has become after that torched was passed from defensive ends Luis Castillo and Jacques Cesaire.
“Leadership is doing the right thing regardless of what happens,” Martin said. “Leadership is doing the things you are supposed to do -- that both your superiors would probably want you to do and your peers, an example they should follow.”
At the time of the draft, it appeared general manager A.J. Smith may have reached by selecting Martin. Martin is a native of Lucea, Jamaica where he grew up playing cricket and soccer. Martin moved to Canada when he was 9 years old, but he didn't begin playing football until his sophomore year of high school and entered the draft with just one year of college experience.
He played just 10 games with no starts in each of his first two NFL seasons. Then last year, Castillo broke a tibia in Week 1. Martin started the remaining 15 games and finished the season with 49 tackles (five for a loss) and a sack.
Martin understands the importance of production, but he is not defined solely by numbers. He's equally concerned with how he goes about his daily business, a skill he learned from Castillo and Cesaire, two unquestioned, long-time leaders of the D-line until they were recently released.
“I just remember coming in as a rookie, lost,” Martin said. “I didn’t know where to go and they set a good example for me.
“I watched how those guys dealt with adversity, up and down. I watched how they dealt with success when we were 13-3 (2009). We were playing well and had good games. And I watched them when there were bad games.”
Martin feels indebted to Castillo and Cesaire for taking him in and showing him how to be a pro. It’s a debt he can never repay, so Martin has chosen to pay it forward.
“You wish they were teammates forever,” he said. “But the league moves in one direction. The best thing you can do is try to follow the good example of the guys who came ahead of you and learn from the guys who are still here as you continue to go on forward.”
The Chargers drafted ends Corey Liuget (1st round in 2011, 19th overall) and Kendall Reyes (2nd round, 49th overall, this year). Clearly, there is competition, but it hasn't impacted Martin's greater role.
“Vaughn is a great leader,” Reyes said.
Liuget said Martin’s best leadership skill is his ability to learn from his mistakes.
“No matter how bad his last play was, he always tries to make up for it whether it is with effort or technique,” Liuget said. “He always seems to do better the next time around. He doesn’t get down on himself. He's always relentlessly trying to get to the ball and trying to do what he needs to do in the scheme of our defense.”
Martin appreciates the sentiments, but he insists it's just the job.
“I think I am the same person,” Martin said. “What you do is make mistakes. A coach told me a long time ago, I think it was in high school, ‘A mistake is only a mistake when it remains uncorrected.’”
Follow the Chargers and Dan McLellan on Twitter @CBSSportsNFLSD and @sandiegosports.