The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The chatterbox
If Martellus Bennett had his way, people would live in his world.
He describes it as a fun place, where imaginations can run wild and people can feel unrestrained.
And in a way, Bennett has managed to do just that in his first season with the New England Patriots.
Fair or unfair, under Bill Belichick New England has been branded as an organization where individuality is discouraged, and where Belichick’s boilerplate lines like “I’m going to do what’s best for the team” are often repeated by his players.
But while he has integrated himself into Belichick’s football philosophies, off the field “Marty” has been the antithesis of conformity. With locker room jester Rob Gronkowski on injured reserve since December following back surgery, Bennett has stepped right into his role as the most dominant personality in the room as well as at tight end.
And yet, somehow, Belichick’s team-first, disciplined environment and the veteran tight end’s quirkiness have meshed.
“Ever since the first day I came here I felt like I belonged, whether it was my teammates who accepted me, or from upper management down to the coaches,” Bennett said. “Not only did I buy into the program, but the whole Patriots organization bought into me.”
Bennett’s locker room sessions with the media this season have been like an amusement park ride with a constantly evolving course, where topics jump from football to philosophy to politics to even his love of bacon.
His company, The Imagination Agency, creates children’s books and other products for children. The first book, “Hey A.J. It’s Saturday” was written by Bennett, who based the main character on his daughter, Austin Jett.
In addition, Bennett has created a cartoon avatar, “Football Marty,” who is featured in his new clothing line. He’s toying with including it in a children’s book. Perhaps the character will go into space, he says, which it turns out is also an affinity of Bennett’s. It makes sense, considering he went to high school outside of Houston.
Numerology
The last year that Bill Belichick was not coach of the New England Patriots. He replaced Pete Carroll after the 1999 season. Carroll went on to win a national title at Southern California and a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks.
Greatest ever?
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and 49ers great Joe Montana are the only players in NFL history to be chosen Super Bowl MVP three times. No player has been so honored four times.
Brady holds Super Bowl passing records for attempts (247), completions (164), yards (1,605) and touchdown passes (13).
“He’s the best quarterback to ever play the game,” Patriots running back Le Garrette Blount said.
The final words
“Stick to your routine as much as you can. It’s obviously different not playing this week, but you just try to prepare as much as you can. You don’t just want to sit around and say, ‘Oh, I’ll get it next week.’ You do everything you can to get an extra jump. There’s no time to let your foot off the gas. Time to really just head down, keep pushing it. It’s just another football game. You’ve got to break it down and look at it as not such a big ...
“It’s just a football game at the end of the day. It’s a great honor to play in this game, but don’t make it something, you know? Take a deep breath, keep preparing and moving forward.”
— David Andrews, who played at Wesleyan and at the University of Georgia, to the Boston Globe on the final day in New England before the team left for Houston.