Former Giants Linebacker Blake Martinez Made $5 Million in Seven Months Selling Pokemon Cards

Blake Martinez, an ex-linebacker for the Giants, was able to seamlessly transition into his next phase of his life at just 28 years old.

CNBC Make It Martinez reported having made over $5 million in seven months since launching Blake’s Breaks, his company that sells Pokémon cards on the platform Whatnot. It was a side venture that Martinez had reportedly started during the COVID-19 pandemic, but his personal connection with Pokémon cards dates back to when he was younger and collected them. 

“Every single day when I wake up, my shoulder doesn’t hurt and my back doesn’t hurt anymore,” Martinez told CNBC Make It. “When all that hurts are my fingers from opening, like, 1,000 packs of cards per day, I think, ‘I’m going to keep doing this.'”

His mother gave that original collection of Pokémon cards away, Martinez said, but he started another collection that eventually led to live sessions on Whatnot — where he opened the packages and “auctioned the cards off one by one,” CNBC Make It. He even In October, one card was sold at $672,000Although it was sold through Goldin Auctions. USA TODAY’S TouchdownWire.

Blake’s Breaks was started by Martinez while he was still a Giants member in July 2022. He sustained a torn ACL in the 2021 season. He was finally released a year later, after a disagreement with the new coaching staff, including defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.

A month later, however, he was reunited with Patrick Graham, former New York defensive coach. He only played in four games with the Raiders, starting two, before retiring after a seven-year career that started in Green Bay — where the Packers made him a fourth-round pick in 2016.

Martinez said to CNBC Make It, not long after his Raiders tenure, that he had an affair. “pivot point.” He was impressed by the time spent on Blake’s Breaks and decided to take over the venture full-time. Martinez employs 15 people as contract workers. There are two warehouses in Miami, Denver and New Jersey. Another one is reportedly in the works.

“I think there’s more to my success than [my name],” Martinez told CNBC Make It. “I used to be like the quarterback of the defense, I was calling plays. When I started this business, it felt like running a team again.”

Martinez was not a Pro Bowler, but he did lead the NFL in combined tackles with 144 during 2017. He tied that number or bettered it in the following three seasons. He also played all 16 games for the Giants in 2020.https://nypost.com/2021/09/27/blake-martinez-out-for-season-with-torn-acl-in-giants-crusher/”>sustaining a torn ACL In their loss in Week 3.