Defensive lineman and Indoor Football League-veteran William Martin III enters his first season with the Bay Area Panthers in 2025. Standing at six-feet, 275 pounds, Martin is an explosive athlete in the trenches.
In 2024, Martin played for the IFL’s Northern Arizona Wranglers under current-Panthers assistant head coach Les Moss. There, Martin produced 18 tackles and four TFL throughout 11 contests on a defensive front that led the league with five recorded safeties.
Prior to the pros, Martin competed on the gridiron for the University at Albany as a graduate transfer. In his lone campaign with the Great Danes, he issued six tackles with one TFL over 11 games. He also won a CAA conference title at U-Albany.
Additionally, Martin played college football at Pennsylvania Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg for two years from 2021 to 2022, earning Second Team All-PSAC honors. He logged 22 total appearances for the Huskies, making 85 tackles (eight TFL), 2.5 sacks. Martin also forced a fumble and recovered two through that span.
He graduated from CU-Bloomsburg in 2022 with a degree in Business Management & Administration.
Martin is a native of Darby Township, PA and attended Academy Park High School in nearby Sharon Hill. As a prepster, he excelled for the Knights on both offense and defense.
Panthers Head Coach Rob Keefe—a defensive guru—is eager to insert the former Wrangler into Bay Area’s rotation, raving, “Martin is a twitched-up ball of explosive energy from the moment he comes out of his defensive lineman stance.”
In his free time, Martin enjoys exercising, gaming and coaching youth sports. Expect him to make a difference up front for the Panthers in 2025.
