HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Curtis Martin's dream of being an NFL owner is closer to becoming a reality.

The league's fourth-leading career rusher, who announced his plans to run from the backfield to the front office when he retired in July, said he's made progress in his bid to run a team.

"It is very possible that I'll be in ownership by next year," Martin said Wednesday. "I expect to be in ownership by next year."

It's uncertain which team he's in talks with, but it's been speculated it is not the New York Jets, with whom he spent nine of his 12 NFL seasons.

"Other than that it's going good, I won't say anything else," Martin said. "When it does happen and when everything plays out, I'll be very detailed and we can probably go through the entire process. But to protect those who are involved and the integrity of the whole deal, I'm not going to say too much about it."

The 34-year-old Martin, who'll be honored by the Jets during a halftime ceremony Sunday against Pittsburgh, believes he's the perfect type of owner for today's NFL.

"I want to become a new image of what a professional athlete is," Martin said. "I think presently in sports, you have the whole bravado, bling-bling, and it seems that that's the image that most of us look up to, and I don't know who set that image. I want to be a different image. I want to be an image that's positive for you long-term. ... That's one of my true motivations."