FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — This was early in the "Journey for 9/11," before George Martin had walked through Little Rock and Albuquerque and San Jose on his way to San Diego, before many of the 16,000 photos had been taken, before most of the 3,003 miles had been traveled, before much of the $2 million had been raised for "the Heroes of Ground Zero."

This was before Bill Parcells, his old coach, finally, emphatically told him he'd done good.

This was in Virginia, before Martin's tour turned West to Tennessee.

"There was this grandmother that came out to the busy highway," Martin said by phone Wednesday.

She had five grandchildren along — four boys, one girl. Martin initially assumed they were autograph seekers. After all, he had played 14 seasons as a defensive end for the New York Giants. He had won a Super Bowl under Parcells, even holding the record for touchdowns by a defensive lineman until Jason Taylor came along.

They weren't autograph seekers, however. They were inspiration seekers.

The grandmother pointed at Martin. She told her grandchildren to look at this man giving back to his country. She told them to remember. She gave the "Journey" $10 of the $14 she had in her purse.

"We were so reluctant to take it," Martin said. "It galvanized me, and made it clear in my mind that this was a mission much larger than George Martin."

It was.

It was about helping the first responders who sacrificed on one of America's darkest days.

On America's 232nd birthday, that selfless ongoing mission warrants special recognition.

Martin last played in the NFL in 1988, retiring from football to raise his three sons and daughter with his wife, Dianne, in New Jersey. He pursued numerous endeavors, serving on the Fairleigh Dickinson University board and starting Minority Athletes Networking while working as the VP of Sports Marketing at AXA-Equitable Marketing.

On the field, he had been called a hero for playing a kids' game at a high level.

On Sept. 11, 2001, as he watched people race into the burning ruins of the World Trade Center, that characterization made him uncomfortable.

"Nothing I have ever done could raise to the level of what these gentlemen did," Martin said. "I was captivated."

Then he was appalled that many were ignored while struggling to pay for treatment of respiratory and other post-attack diseases and ailments.

So, he solicited sponsors, convincing hospitals and medical care partners to match whatever he raised to pay health care bills. He trained for two months, walking more than 25 miles per day. He began his trek at the George Washington Bridge on Sept. 16, 2007, passing through Hackensack, N.J., and making a halftime appearance at Giants Stadium.

His wife joined him for the first three months. It was supposed to last four. Maybe five. It lasted nine, ending June 22. Martin, wearing through 24 pairs of shoes, faced it all. Heat, rain, ice, wind. But he, like that grandmother in Tennessee, kept finding inspiration. He found it in the stories of the officers and firefighters for whom he walked. He found some in his history. Way back when, Martin had survived six seasons under Parcells.

"This was a walk in the park compared to a Bill Parcells training camp," the former NFL Players Association president said. "This is a stand alone, trust me."

Parcells wouldn't let one of his favorite players walk alone now. So the Dolphins' vice president of football operations not only made a major contribution to push Martin's financial quest over $1 million, but he also called periodically during the trip to offer his special brand of encouragement.

Like, "Martin, you need to get going! And, "Martin, move it, get to the next town!"

Even when Parcells wasn't speaking, his gruff voice haunted Martin, telling him this was why he ran all those laps, lifted all those weights.

"My final call before reaching San Diego was from the old coach himself, Bill Parcells," Martin said. "Then he sent a very, very stirring letter, congratulating me on the job I did on my journey. People want to know what they got down there in Miami. You've got a national treasure."

Takes one to know one.