Marcus Martin Returns to 49ers Practice

In the first quarter of his final game in cardinal and gold, Marcus Martin had to be carted off the field. Now the former USC center is working his way to participating in his first red and gold game.

Martin returned to practice with the San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday for the first time since suffering a right knee injury in a preseason game. Martin dislocated his knee cap when he got rolled up from behind during a running play.

While Marcus Martin was limited in what all he could do during practice on Wednesday and Thursday, it's still a great sign for him to be back on the practice field for the Niners. He was expected to be out two months, but he's only missed five weeks thus far.

Martin played at USC for three years before leaving for the NFL. The former Crenshaw HS three-star prospect hit the ground running, earning playing time and starting role his freshman year at guard. Prior to his junior season, he took over the center duties left vacated by Khaled Holmes. Martin followed Holmes seamlessly, both at USC and into the NFL. Now the question is whether Max Tuerk will eventually keep the USC center train rolling.