Domo: This Eagle's going to the dogs - when football career is over

EVERY PLAYER in the National Football League aspires to win a Super Bowl. But few of them also aspire to win Best in Show at Westminster.

OK, only one.

Before he became a football star at Detroit Catholic Central High School and the University of Michigan, Eagles defensive tackle Mike Martin was a pretty big deal in the dog-show world.

When he was a freshman in high school, he was named the No. 1 junior handler in the working-dog group by the American Kennel Club. The working-dog group includes larger breeds such as St. Bernards, Bernese mountain dogs, boxers, Great Danes, bull mastiffs, Siberian huskies and Rottweilers.

"My mom got me into it," he said. "She also showed working-class dogs and used to take me to all of the competitions. We got a Rottie. I took it to nationals, and we got first place at nationals.

"It was a pretty big deal. It was a lot of fun. I'll probably do that again down the road, because I just really enjoyed it."

At 6-1 and 298 chiseled pounds, Martin would stand out at a dog show like a grizzly bear at a petting zoo. But he doesn't mind.

"There was a guy when I was, like, 12 years old, which is when I started going (to dog shows)," Martin said. "He used to be a pro football player and he showed Rotties. A big, muscular guy in his late 30s. I always thought that was cool.

"It's cool. You get your own kennel. You've got your trailer. You bring your dog. It's a serious thing. And there's money in it too."

Martin's current domestic dog of choice is something a bit smaller than a Rottweiler. It's a 2-year-old pomsky named Zeus.

What's a pomsky, you ask. Well, it's an odd-couple cross between a Pomeranian and a Siberian husky. Pomskies generally weigh anywhere from 18 to 30 pounds.

"When I was in Nashville (with the Tennessee Titans), I was staying in a small condo," Martin said. "So I couldn't have a big dog. I wanted some kind of dog. And he has that husky in him.

"I gave him a big-dog name."

Martin's best-in-show dream is for down the road when his NFL career is over, which he hopes won't be for a while. Right now, he is focused on earning a spot in the Eagles' defensive tackle rotation.

He signed a one-year deal with the team in March after spending four seasons with the Titans. Martin fell out of favor in Nashville last season, appearing in only five games and playing only 49 snaps.

"I just wanted to be in a defense that suited me and was one that I thought I would fit in best," said Martin, whose strength and explosiveness would seem to be a much better fit for Jim Schwartz's attacking 4-3 scheme than it was for the two-gap 3-4 he played in at Tennessee.

"The mindset was totally different with our technique and stances," Martin said. "In the beginning in Tennessee, we played a balanced stance. Here, we're getting off the ball and trying to get vertical."

Martin displayed his ability to get vertical Wednesday in the Eagles' first "live" practice of training camp, when he exploded into the backfield on a goal-line play and dropped rookie running back Byron Marshall for a 5-yard loss. It was just one of several nice plays he made Wednesday.

"I just tried to get vertical," he said. "That's what coach talks about all the time."

"Mike is an extremely strong, explosive, quick player," said Eagles center Jason Kelce, who goes up against Martin regularly in practice. "I think a defense like this really plays to his attributes.

"I don't know how well he was suited for the two-gapping style he was in, in Tennessee. And I think he's going to be able to showcase his skills a lot more in a defense like this.

Martin joins an excellent tackle group that includes All Pro Fletcher Cox, Bennie Logan and Beau Allen.

"Being around these guys is a lot of fun," Martin said. "We have a great group of defensive linemen. Everybody plays hard. And we have that rotation that helps everybody at the end of the day."

Martin was a Michigan state-champion wrestler at Detroit Catholic. His wrestling background has been helpful to him as a defensive tackle.

"It helps a lot," he said. "It's all about feeling (an opponent's) body weight and feeling where guys are shifting their weight and things like that.

"It's a small thing, but it helps, both in rushing the passer and in the run game, too. You're feeling where guys are trying to push you."

Kelce hadn't known Martin had wrestled, but wasn't surprised.

"He's got great body control," the Eagles center said. "The moment you get off-balance with him, he's going to find a way to use that to his advantage. He's going to find a way to pull himself by you. He's going to find a way to push you and open you up.

"You have to maintain good balance as an offensive lineman. But some defensive lineman have a knack for being able to feel when you're not in balance. And he's got that, for sure."

@Pdomo Blog: philly.com/Eaglesblog