SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Former Slippery Rock University football standouts Marcus Martin and Ian Park signed priority free agent deals with National Football League teams immediately following the conclusion of the NFL Draft Saturday night.
 
Martin, one of the most decorated players in Slippery Rock and NCAA Division II history, signed with the Seattle Seahawks, while Park, a former Division I starting offensive lineman at Northwestern that finished his collegiate eligibility at SRU last fall, signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.
 
"I'm tremendously proud of the accomplishments of both of these young men," said Shawn Lutz, SRU head coach. "What Marcus did here was something truly special and to see him be rewarded with a chance to play in the NFL is the ultimate payoff for all of his hard work and dedication over the last four years. We feel the same way about Ian, even though he only played here one year. He came in early and immediately became a leader and a captain on our football team. We're thrilled for him."
 
Martin and Park will both have a very short time to celebrate their accomplishments as both will be off to their new teams within the next week. Martin leaves Thursday and will be in rookie mini camp in Seattle next weekend.
 
"It's a dream come true," said Martin. "It started to settle in right after I got the phone call that I am going to have a chance to pull on an NFL jersey. I'm very grateful to my teammates and coaches that pushed me here at Slippery Rock and I also want to thank my family for their incredible support."
 
Martin will join the Seahawks as a fullback, a shift from his college position of defensive end, where he put together the most dominant statistical career in NCAA history. He actually had multiple offers from different NFL teams on the table Saturday, including offers to join at least one team as an edge rusher and another as a linebacker, but he ultimately decided the Seahawks were the best fit.
 
"I really feel like the Seahawks wanted me from the beginning," said Martin. "They watched a lot of my film, saw me at the pro days and I really got a good feeling from my conversations with the coaching staff."
 
Park will also be heading to Philadelphia in the next week for rookie mini camp.
 
"I'm so thankful to everyone here at Slippery Rock for bringing me in and letting me be part of the Rock football brotherhood," said Park. "I couldn't be happier with my decision to finish my career at Slippery Rock and I'll never forget this year. I really want to thank the coaches, my teammates and my family for their support."
 
Martin and Park will join 2010 Slippery Rock graduate Brandon Fusco, a current offensive lineman for the Atlanta Falcons, to give The Rock a total of at least three former players in NFL training camps this summer.
 
"How incredible is that," said Lutz. "What a testament to how strong our program is at the Division II level to say that we've got three guys heading off to NFL workouts this spring. It's a great time to be at The Rock."
 
Brief bios for Martin and Park can be found below.
 

MARCUS MARTIN
Records Owned: Martin is the NCAA all-time career leader in sacks, regardless of division, with 56.0 ... he is also the NCAA Division II all-time leader in career tackles for loss with 92.5, more than 15 ahead of the next best player in Division II history (77.0) ... Martin is the SRU and PSAC single-season record holder in sacks (16.0) and is the SRU, PSAC and Super Region One career leader in both sacks and tackles for loss ... he also owns the SRU single-game records for sacks (4.5) and tackles for loss (6.5).
 
Highlights: Martin tallied more than 20 All-America recognitions in his career and was a consensus All-American three times. A defensive end from West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, he was named the NCAA Division II Defensive Player of the Year on two different All-America teams in 2017. He was also named the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year in a record vote and was the PSAC West and Super Region One Defensive Player of the Year for the third straight year. He was the national runner-up for the Ted Hendricks Award as the best defensive end in the country at all levels of college football, an honor no other Division II player has ever been a finalist for. Martin was of the 10 national finalists and the only defensive player on the list of finalists for the Harlon Hill Trophy, finishing third in the vote to mark the second highest finish for a defensive player and the highest finish for a defensive end in the award's history. He was also a national finalist for the fourth straight year and the top Division II vote getter for the Cliff Harris Award. Off the field, Martin earned the most prestigious academic award a football player can earn as a member of the National Football Foundation's National Scholar-Athlete Class, which included an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. He is the only Division II player in the nation in the 13-member class of 2017. He was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America team for the third straight year. On the field this fall, Martin led the nation in sacks (15.5) and tackles for loss (26.5), despite being the only returning starter on a defense that featured 16 players that made their first career starts during the year. He broke the NCAA all-division record for career sacks, finishing with 56.0 sacks over his 48 consecutive games played. Martin also shattered the Division II career record for tackles for loss, finishing with 92.5 to top the former record by more than 15 (77.0).
 
IAN PARK
Highlights: Park was named to All-American honors by two different organizations following his one season at Slippery Rock, which was cut short due to an injury. The Division I transfer from Northwestern University and native of Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania was named to first team All-PSAC honors at right guard. Park appeared in just six games this season, but was dominant in leading the offensive line when he was on the field. Prior to attending Slippery Rock, Park graduated from Northwestern University, where he started 18 games in the Big 10 and saw significant time along the offensive line over three years.
 
 
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