Michael Bennett (defensive lineman, born 1985) facts for kids
Bennett with the Seattle Seahawks in 2013
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| No. 71, 72, 77, 79 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive end | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | November 13, 1985 Independence, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 274 lb (124 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Alief Taylor (Houston, Texas) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Texas A&M (2005–2008) | ||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2009 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Michael Bennett Jr. (born November 13, 1985) is a former American football player. He played as a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies.
Bennett joined the Seattle Seahawks in 2009. He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, and Dallas Cowboys. During his career, Bennett was chosen for three Pro Bowls. He also won Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks. His brother, Martellus Bennett, was also a professional football player.
Contents
Early Life and Sports
Michael Bennett grew up in Houston, Texas. He went to Alief Taylor High School. There, he played football, baseball, and ran track.
In high school football, he was a top defensive lineman. In his senior year, he made 110 tackles and four sacks. He was also good at track and field. He was a strong discus thrower.
College Football Career
In 2005, Michael Bennett started playing for Texas A&M. As a freshman, he made 27 tackles. This included 3.5 quarterback sacks. He played in all 11 games.
In 2006, he continued to play well. He had 27 tackles, including two sacks. He also caused two fumbles. From 2006 to 2008, he played alongside his brother, Martellus Bennett. In 2007, he was recognized as one of the best defensive ends in the Big 12 Conference. He made 43 tackles that year. In 2008, he had 42 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
Playing in the NFL
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+1⁄2 in (1.92 m) |
274 lb (124 kg) |
33+1⁄2 in (0.85 m) |
9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m) |
5.13 s | 1.62 s | 2.84 s | 31.0 in (0.79 m) |
9 ft 2 in (2.79 m) |
24 reps | |||
| All values from NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
First Time with the Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks signed Michael Bennett on April 27, 2009. He was not chosen in the NFL Draft. Some experts thought this was because his college performance was not always the same.
The Seahawks first thought he would play as a left defensive end. After working with coaches, he moved to play as a pass-rushing tackle. During practice games, he had nine tackles and two sacks. He made the team's final roster. However, he was later released by the Seahawks on October 10, 2009.
Time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked up Bennett on October 12, 2009. They moved him back to defensive tackle. He became an important part of their defense.
His best season with the Buccaneers was in 2012. He had 41 tackles, 9 sacks, and caused 3 fumbles. These were his highest numbers at that time.
Second Time with the Seattle Seahawks
Bennett returned to the Seahawks on March 14, 2013. He signed a one-year contract. He helped the 2013 Seahawks defense. This defense was ranked first in the NFL. They went on to win Super Bowl XLVIII. On December 2, 2013, Bennett scored his first NFL touchdown. He recovered a fumble from Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
On March 10, 2014, the Seahawks signed Bennett again. This time it was a four-year contract. After the Seahawks won the NFC Championship game in 2015, Bennett famously rode a Seattle police officer's bicycle around the field.
In Super Bowl XLIX, the Seahawks played the New England Patriots. A disagreement happened near the end of the game. The Seahawks lost the game 24–28.
In the 2015 season, Bennett had a great game against the San Francisco 49ers. He recorded 3.5 sacks. He was named defensive player of the week for his performance. He was ranked as one of the best edge defenders in the NFL.
On December 30, 2016, Bennett signed another contract extension with the Seahawks. He was chosen for his second straight Pro Bowl in 2016. In 2017, he earned his third straight Pro Bowl invitation. This happened after another player could not attend due to injury.
Playing for the Philadelphia Eagles
On March 7, 2018, Bennett was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. He played in all 16 games that season. He had 34 tackles and nine sacks.
Time with the New England Patriots
On March 14, 2019, Bennett was traded to the New England Patriots. In week 2, he recorded his first sack of the season. Later, Bennett was suspended for one game. This was due to a disagreement with his position coach. He apologized for his actions.
Playing for the Dallas Cowboys
On October 24, 2019, Bennett was traded to the Dallas Cowboys. He was brought in to help the team's defense. He played in 9 games as a backup defensive end. He had 18 tackles and 4 sacks. He was not re-signed after the season ended.
Retirement from Football
On July 21, 2020, Michael Bennett announced he was retiring from the NFL. He played for eleven seasons.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Comb | Solo | Ast | Sck | FF | FR | Yds | TD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | PD | ||
| 2009 | SEA | 0 | 0 | DNP | |||||||||||||
| TB | 7 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2010 | TB | 13 | 2 | 15 | 13 | 2 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2011 | TB | 14 | 10 | 39 | 35 | 4 | 4.0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | TB | 16 | 16 | 41 | 34 | 7 | 9.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2013 | SEA | 16 | 3 | 31 | 18 | 13 | 8.5 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | SEA | 16 | 16 | 38 | 26 | 12 | 7.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | SEA | 16 | 16 | 52 | 33 | 19 | 10.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | SEA | 11 | 11 | 34 | 24 | 10 | 5.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | SEA | 16 | 16 | 40 | 25 | 15 | 8.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2018 | PHI | 16 | 10 | 34 | 25 | 9 | 9.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2019 | NE | 6 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DAL | 9 | 0 | 27 | 20 | 7 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Career | 156 | 101 | 359 | 259 | 100 | 69.5 | 10 | 3 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
Awards and Achievements
- Pro Bowl selection (2015, 2016, 2017)
- Super Bowl Champion (Super Bowl XLVIII)
- 2× NFC Champion (2013, 2014)
- Pro Bowl Defensive MVP (2015)
- PFWA All-NFC (2015)
Life After the NFL
Helping Others: Philanthropy
Michael Bennett and his wife, Pele, started The Bennett Foundation. Their goal is to help people in communities that need it most. They want to promote health and fitness.
The foundation works in Washington, Texas, and Hawaii. They offer free education and health screenings. They also organize children's camps and activities. The foundation holds a yearly event called the O.C.E.A.N. Health Fest. They also create programs to teach kids about healthy eating in schools.
Mouthpeace Podcast
In January 2020, Bennett started a weekly podcast. It is called Mouthpeace with Michael and Pele. He hosts the show with his wife, Pele. They talk about family, his football career, and American society. They also discuss culture.
The first episode came out on January 31, 2020. Guests on the show have included athletes and thinkers.
Personal Life
Michael Bennett has two sisters, Ashley and Renekia. He also has three brothers: Donte, Martellus, and Reshaud. His brother Martellus also played in the NFL as a tight end.
Bennett's special dance after a sack was inspired by professional wrestler Rick Rude.
Starting in 2017, Bennett began to kneel during the national anthem before games. He said this was to show his support for social justice. He also chose not to go on a trip to Israel with other NFL players in 2017. He stated his support for the Palestinian cause.
In the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election, Bennett supported Bernie Sanders. He praised Sanders for his views on climate control and social justice. He supported Sanders again in the 2020 election.
In August 2020, Bennett joined other athletes and activists. They worked with VoteRiders to help people get the ID they needed to vote. This honored the legacy of Rep. John Lewis. Bennett used the hashtag #makegoodtrouble to remember Rep. Lewis.
