Bennett is a Patriot. No, Martellus Bennett didn't come out of retirement to rejoin his old team, but there will be a new Bennett in a Patriots uniform this season.
The Eagles traded Michael Bennett to the Patriots, and Michael is a vibrant personality in his own right. The defensive end is a 10-year veteran of the NFL, winning a Super Bowl with the Seahawks, but he is far more than just a football player.
He's a family man.
Michael and his wife Pele have three daughters. Pele is Samoan, and the Bennett family spends much of the off-season at their home in Hawaii, according to a profile of Michael and Martellus on ESPN.
"Worldwide Mike"
On an episode of Marty's podcast, "Revenge of the Jocks," he shared a fun nickname for his brother: "Worldwide Mike." Michael and his family are constantly traveling and immersing themselves in different cultures. Whether he's traveling to Japan or Morocco, Michael is always on the go, and as important as it is for him, Michael said it's even more important for his kids.
"I think traveling is important. It helps you evolve. When I go to different countries, I get all these different experiences and I just get a chance to understand culture, understand food, understand people," he said. "I just love traveling, it also helps my kids have a better understanding of the world, not to think of themselves as one singular entity when it's like a whole world and they play a small piece in it."
He is an author.
Speaking of family, he and Pele co-authored a book about their family, "Three Little Monsters Have a Wild Day!" The children's book chronicles a family's adventure, based on the Bennett crew. In 2018, Michael wrote a memoir with Dave Zirin, "Things That Make White People Uncomfortable." The book covers his career, social issues, racism and his philanthropy.
The Bennett Foundation
Michael was the Seahawks 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, and it is easy to see why. He and Pele started The Bennett Foundation in 2014, and it's dedicated to filling the gap of nutrition education. The foundation's mission is to educate "under-served children and communities through free, accessible programming in Hawaii, Washington, and Texas" through "free health screenings, fitness activities, cooking demonstrations, and much more," according to the foundation's website.
Michael has hosted camps for kids in Houston, in Honolulu and on South Dakota's Lower Brulé Souix Tribe Indian Reservation, and pledged his 2017 endorsement money to STEAM programs for minority communities. He donated $25,000 to Hurricane Harvey relief after the storm ravaged his hometown of Houston. While in Seattle, Michael established a gardening program at King County Juvenile Detention Center, and he partnered with an African-based STEAM organization, I Am The Code, to give girls in Senegal lessons in coding.
With all of this, it'll be exciting to see what Michael does on and off the field for the Patriots. Welcome to New England, Michael.
