Ex-Buc On NFL Management Track Sharp and focused. Smart and driven. Derrick Brooks realized former Bucs cornerback Martin Mayhew was going places after his NFL playing career was finished. Former Bucs coach Tony Dungy knew it, too, even though Mayhew surprised him after the 1996 season by retiring at 31. Mayhew's studies weren't limited to game film throughout a nine-year NFL career. Detroit Lions president and CEO Matt Millen recognized his acumen two weeks ago by naming Mayhew assistant general manager. Less than four years after joining the organization in the legal affairs department, Mayhew will play a major role in personnel matters and football operations. ``I'm not surprised at all,'' said Bucs assistant coach Ron Middleton, who won a Super Bowl with Mayhew as a member of the 1991 Redskins. ``Martin wasn't a nerd, but you could tell he had the smarts. He's a prime example of a guy who had his goals set early in life. And Matt Millen showed some smarts by promoting him.'' Mayhew, 39, joined the Bucs as an unrestricted free agent in 1993 and was a fixture at left cornerback for four years. Although his final NFL season coincided with Dungy's first in Tampa, Mayhew made a lasting impression. ``Very smart guy, very tough player,'' Dungy said Tuesday from Indianapolis. ``He was definitely very focused, and Martin was going to law school when I got there. A year later, he was just ready to go. I didn't know if he'd be on Wall Street, but I knew he'd be successful.'' Mayhew and Millen played together on that '91 Redskins team and Millen made Mayhew one of his first hires in Detroit. Now Mayhew will work directly under Millen on all pro and college personnel matters. The early speculation is Mayhew is being groomed for the general manager's job in Motown. ``Being on the front-office side is different,'' said Mayhew, who was director of football administration for the short-lived XFL before joining the Lions. ``The XFL was a constant struggle, operating on a tight budget. People think you have to make brutal decisions in the NFL, but the XFL was quite an experience.'' Millen is eager to shift Mayhew's attention to the personnel side as the Lions (4-2) attempt to make a playoff run in their second season under Coach Steve Mariucci. ``This puts another good set of eyes and an opinion into our mix,'' Millen said. ``I think it's a big step for us, and I think it's a great step for Martin as well.'' Even before the promotion, Mayhew was named one of the 101 Most Influential Minorities in Sports by Sports Illustrated. ``I can remember as a rookie seeing Martin back here stretching while he was reading the business section of the newspaper,'' Brooks said. ``This promotion is very warranted and it puts another minority in a position of power in the National Football League. I feel good about it because it means another good person gets to move ahead.'' Mayhew's fast track is a result of foresight and dedication, based on a realistic view. ``I graduated Florida State in December and went to work for First Union National Bank in Charlotte before I even turned pro,'' he said. ``And don't forget, I was a 10th- round choice who got $11,000 to sign. At the end of the day, I cleared $7,000. I figured, hey, this may not work out. I never came into the league with the expectation I'd be playing golf every day when I retired. Every single year, I thought to myself, this could be it.'' Armed with a degree from Georgetown University Law Center, Mayhew relishes the challenge of working with Millen and Mariucci toward an inaugural Super Bowl berth for the Lions. Even if Mayhew becomes an NFL power broker as a general manager, Middleton will always link him to one memorable collision. ``One day in practice with the Redskins, I was talking a lot of noise just to liven things up,'' Middleton recalled. ``I went out to catch a pass in a flat route and boom - Mayhew hits me in the face and knocks me flat on the ground. The whole team loved it, but I spent the rest of the year looking for him.'' You can find him in the executive suite. Ira Kaufman The Tampa Tribune 27 October 2004