Michael Bennett (defensive lineman, born 1985) facts for kids
Bennett in December 2013
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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 in 1985) is a former American football player. He was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies. In 2009, he joined the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent.
Bennett also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, and Dallas Cowboys. During his career, he was chosen for the Pro Bowl three times. He also won Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks. Michael's brother, Martellus Bennett, was also a professional football player.
Contents
Early Life and High School Sports
Michael Bennett grew up in Houston, Texas. He went to Alief Taylor High School. There, he played football, baseball, and ran track.
In football, he was a top defensive lineman. In his senior year, he made 110 tackles and four sacks. He was recognized as one of the best players in his district. Bennett also threw the discus in track and field. His best throw was over 45 meters (147 feet).
College Football Career
In 2005, Michael started playing for Texas A&M. As a freshman, he made 27 tackles. He also had 3.5 quarterback sacks. He played in all 11 games.
In 2006, he continued to be a strong player. He made 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 named to the honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference team. He had 43 tackles that year. In 2008, he made 42 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
Michael Bennett's NFL Journey
| 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 in 2009. He was not chosen in the NFL Draft. The team first thought he would play as a left defensive end. After training, he moved to play as a pass-rushing tackle. During the preseason, he had nine tackles and two sacks. He made the team's final roster.
However, the Seahawks later released him on October 10, 2009. This was to make space for another player.
Playing for 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. This was especially true when other players were injured.
His best season with the Buccaneers was in 2012. He made 41 tackles and 9 sacks. He also forced 3 fumbles, which were all career highs for him.
Second Time with the Seattle Seahawks
Bennett returned to the Seahawks in 2013. He signed a one-year contract. On December 2, 2013, he scored his first NFL touchdown. He recovered a fumble from Drew Brees, the Saints' quarterback.
Bennett was a key player for the 2013 Seahawks defense. This defense was ranked first in the NFL. They went on to win Super Bowl XLVIII.
In 2014, the Seahawks signed Bennett again. This time, it was for a four-year contract. After the Seahawks won the NFC Championship game in 2015, Bennett celebrated in a unique way. He rode a police officer's bicycle around the field.
In Super Bowl XLIX, the Seahawks played the New England Patriots. The Seahawks lost the game 24–28.
In 2015, 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 strong performance. He was also ranked among the top defensive players in the NFL. In 2016, he signed a new contract extension with the Seahawks. He was also chosen for his second straight Pro Bowl.
In 2017, Bennett was invited to his third straight Pro Bowl. This happened after another player could not attend.
Time with the Philadelphia Eagles
On March 7, 2018, the Seahawks traded Bennett to the Philadelphia Eagles. He played in all 16 games that season. He had 34 tackles and nine sacks. He also forced two fumbles.
Playing for the New England Patriots
On March 14, 2019, Bennett was traded to the New England Patriots. In his second game, he recorded his first sack of the season. This was in a big 43-0 win. Later, Bennett was suspended for one game by the Patriots. He said it was due to a "philosophical disagreement" with his coach. He apologized for his actions.
Joining 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 made 27 tackles and 4 sacks. He was not signed again 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 Stats
| 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 | |||
| 2016 | SEA | 11 | 11 | 34 | 24 | 10 | 5.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2017 | SEA | 16 | 16 | 40 | 25 | 15 | 8.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||
| 2018 | PHI | 16 | 10 | 34 | 25 | 9 | 9.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||
| 2019 | NE | 6 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| DAL | 9 | 0 | 27 | 20 | 7 | 4.0 | 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 (XLVIII)
- 2× NFC Champion (2013, 2014)
- Pro Bowl Defensive MVP (2015)
- PFWA All-NFC (2015)
Life After the NFL
Helping Communities (Philanthropy)
Michael Bennett and his wife, Pele, started The Bennett Foundation. Their goal is to help people in communities that don't have many resources. 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 an event called the O.C.E.A.N. Health Fest every year. They also create nutrition education programs for schools.
Mouthpeace Podcast
In 2020, Michael Bennett started a weekly podcast. It's called Mouthpeace with Michael and Pele. He hosts it with his wife, Pele. The podcast talks about family, his football career, and American society and culture.
Michael Bennett's Personal Life
Michael Bennett has two sisters and three brothers. His brother, Martellus Bennett, also played in the NFL. Martellus was a tight end.
Michael Bennett had a special dance he did after making a sack. He would put his hands on his head and move his hips. He got the idea for this dance from a professional wrestler named Rick Rude.
Starting in 2017, Bennett began to kneel during the national anthem before games. He said this was to show his feelings about social issues. He also chose not to go on a trip to Israel with other NFL players. He said he supported the Palestinian cause.
In the 2016 and 2020 U.S. Presidential Elections, Bennett supported Bernie Sanders. He liked Sanders' ideas on climate control and social justice.
In 2020, Bennett joined other athletes and activists. They worked with VoteRiders to help people get the ID they needed to vote. This was to honor the legacy of Rep. John Lewis. Bennett used the hashtag #makegoodtrouble to remember Rep. Lewis.
