While his teammates practice in the hot sun before cheering crowds at Hofstra, Curtis Martin works alone, trapped in a quiet building. He works in the weight room, in the film room and in the trainer's room, rehabbing his surgically repaired knee. It's his personal hell.

"To be honest, it hurts more than the physical pain, not being out there," the Jets' running back said yesterday in his first training-camp interview.

At 33, Martin could walk away, his legacy secure, but he still wants to play football. He made that clear. Whether he will play is a growing issue.