Martellus Bennett: Super Bowl LI Champion

Martellus Bennett is many things. Outspoken, individualistic, creative, Hufflepuff representative, unorthodox, funny, children’s book author, talented, and now you can add Super Bowl Champion to that list. Trust me, he has already added it to his twitter bio.

The New England tight end hauled in five catches for 62 yards, and nearly had the game winner, twice, in overtime. One of his catches came off a deflected pass, that had he not come down with it, easily might have been intercepted by Atlanta, possibly derailing the Patriot’s comeback bid. He also shared a lighter moment with Atlanta Falcons DE, Dwight Freeney, when their helmets became stuck together.

Martellus joins Von Miller of the Denver Broncos and his brother, Michael Bennett of the Seattle Seahawks, as active Aggie NFL players with a Super Bowl victory. (Did I miss any?)

After the Patriots finished their unbelievable comeback to win the Super Bowl, Martellus may have been speechless for the first time in his life. However, his daughter clearly was not and took the opportunity to talk about the important things in life -namely, the family dog.

Martellus did not stay speechless for long and made a statement that he was not planning to visit the White House for the Patriots celebration. If this is your first time tuning in to a Marty B event, this is not the first time that he has used his status for a political message. He even called out Kanye for meeting with Trump. Always true to himself. (Go follow him on twitter: @MartysaurusRex)

Martellus has always done things a bit different, such as choosing to commit to a Dennis Franchione led Texas A&M instead of a Mack Brown Texas team (when the Horns got nearly any recruit they wanted). Although Martellus holds the Texas A&M career record for receptions by a tight end (105), he was easily under-utilized during his three years in College Station (If you can find a video of his rap song “Throw me the Ball Coach” PLEASE post it in the comments). He was then drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 2008, had a lackluster three years before being traded to the New York Giants for a year in 2012. He then did two years with the Chicago Bears, where he earned his first Pro Bowl nomination in 2014. The journeyman tight end has had his ups and downs with injuries, trouble with teammates, and focus issues.

However, the quirky, outspoken player appears to have found a home in typically straight-laced New England, of all places, where he had a career high seven touchdown catches. He will be a free agent this offseason, so who knows where he will end up, but I think the Patriots want to keep him there. Seems like a perfect place for a tight end with a skill set like Marty’s. He also appears to have endeared himself to the Patriot faithful with his on field performance and off field antics like dressing up like Pikachu for the kids at Boston Children’s Hospital. (Remember when Pokemon Go was a thing?)

As to skipping out on the upcoming White House visit, Martellus is staying true to his brand and feels an “obligation to promote social change.” It will be interesting to see how New England’s owner and longtime Trump friend, Robert Kraft, will handle this political statement as the Patriots organization usually keeps its players buttoned up from making similar type comments. Side note - Martellus has probably made a few more fans from many who feel the same way about the current political landscape. Personally, I’d go and reenact all the Presidential visits in Forrest Gump, like showing my ass and drinking as many Dr Peppers as I could find.

Martellus will continue to be an outspoken member of the NFL, and I applaud him for staying true to himself, even when I do not completely agree with everything he says or does. Whether he goes to the White House or not, life will go on, and Martellus will continue walking to the beat of his own drum. That drum beat will be a little harder now with the added weight of a Super Bowl ring.

Congratulations on the Super Bowl win, Marty B. Gig ‘em and enjoy the ride.