Zachary Edward Martin was born on November 20, 1990, he is an American football offensive guard for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame and was drafted 16th overall by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He has made seven Pro Bowls and been selected to seven All-Pro teams. Martin is considered one of the best guards in the NFL.
After redshirting in 2009, he became the starting left tackle for the Irish in 2010. He saw action in all 13 games in 2010 and was one of 11 players to start all 13 games for the Irish that season. As a junior in 2011, he started all 13 games as a left offensive tackle and was part of a unit that only allowed 17 sacks during the season.
He helped pave the way for a running game that averaged 4.8 yards a carry, the best by a Notre Dame team since 1996. In 2012, he was named one of four team captains for the Irish. He started all 13 games and helped lead the team to a 12–0 regular season record and a trip to the 2013 BCS National Championship Game against the Alabama Crimson Tide, but lost 42–14. He announced he would return to the Irish for the 2013–2014 season.
On June 13, 2018, Martin signed a six-year, $84 million contract extension with the Cowboys with $40 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid guard in the NFL. He suffered a knee injury in Week 14 and missed the following week, the first time in his career that he had missed a game.
In 2019 Martin become one of five offensive linemen ever to secure a Pro Bowl invitation in each of their first six seasons, joining Lou Creekmur (1950–57), Jon Morris (1964–70), Joe Thomas (2007–16) and Richmond Webb (1990–96).
In Week 11, Martin made his first career start at right tackle due to injuries across the offensive line. On December 7, 2020, Martin was placed on injured reserve with a calf strain. He was activated on January 2, 2021. On September 5, 2021, it was announced that Martin was ruled out for the 2021 season opener due to testing positive for COVID-19.
In July 2016, Martin wed his wife Morgan; the couple had a son and a daughter. The former NFL tight end Tyler Eifert’s sister is his husband. Martin and Eifert shared a dorm at the University of Notre Dame and were teammates before becoming brothers-in-law.