“Linebacker Rod Martin went to Oakland in the final round,” read the second half of the last line of a Daily Trojan article published May 6, 1977, recapping the Trojans picked in that year’s NFL Draft.

Then, the draft had 12 rounds — five more than its current format. But, unlike many other late-round picks who see limited playing time or fill their jobs as role players, the former Trojan standout became arguably USC’s biggest draft story of all time after winning two Super Bowls and earning two Pro-Bowl nominations with the Raiders, who moved from Oakland to Los Angeles while he was with the program.

On Monday, Martin, most well known for his record three Super Bowl interceptions that helped lead the Raiders to a championship in 1981, died at 72, the Raiders and USC have both since announced. No cause of death has been revealed publicly.

In two seasons at USC — 1975 and 1976 — Martin made a name for himself as a force to be reckoned with, especially during his Pac-8 All-Conference 1976 campaign that saw him lead the team with 17 tackles for loss and five fumbles recovered. He also added an interception that season.

Martin was especially important in a 14-6 Rose Bowl win over Michigan, securing 10 tackles in the game that propelled the Trojans to a No. 2 ranking at the end of the season. That 1976 season kicked off the dominant John Robinson era; Martin played a key role in the legendary coach’s first season with USC. The Trojans were a combined 19-5 during Martin’s tenure with the program.

The former Trojan spent his entire 12-season NFL career — spanning 1977-1988 — with the Raiders organization, starting 147 games, grabbing 14 interceptions, forcing 10 fumbles and amassing 56.5 sacks.

In 1983 and 1984, Martin made the Pro Bowl. He was an All-Pro in 1984, when he had a career-high 11 sacks, and received votes in 1983 — the only two seasons he received votes.

Martin’s biggest moment, though, came during Super Bowl XV, when he intercepted Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski three times, earning him a Sports Illustrated cover photo with a headline “Oh, what a feeling” and a spot in the history books as the only player to ever nab three picks in the same Super Bowl. He also played a significant role in the Raiders’ Super Bowl XVIII win three seasons later, breaking up a pass, grabbing a sack and stopping a run for no gain on fourth down.

After he retired from football, Martin returned to USC to work in the University’s Information Technology department, according to a USC Athletics news release about his death.