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Buccaneers' Martin: Drug issue 'definitely behind me'

Cliff McBride / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Doug Martin is confident that a stint in rehab was exactly what he needed to get his life back on track.

Speaking with reporters Thursday for the first time since leaving the team late last season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back touched upon the progress he's made in recent months.

Though he wouldn't disclose why he was admitted to a rehabilitation facility, Martin explained that he's in a much better place.

"I was there long enough," he said, according to Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times. "I was there to a point where I'm strong now. Mentally strong and physically strong."

Martin will have three games remaining on his four-game suspension when the 2017 season gets underway. The punishment gives the Buccaneers the ability to dump his lucrative contract, but all indications are that he's being given the chance to earn his spot.

Seemingly ready to take advantage of that opportunity, the 28-year-old said his drug issues are a thing of the past.

"No, it's behind me. It's definitely behind me," Martin said. "I'm just coming out here and doing what I do. Just coming out here and practicing my best."

He'll enter 2017 looking to bounce back from a difficult year in which he managed just 421 yards and three touchdowns across eight games.

The goal for all parties, of course, is that he can stay on track and again approach the level of play that earned him his five-year, $35.75-million extension last offseason. Martin started all 16 games for Tampa Bay in 2015, racking up 1,402 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

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