Martellus Bennett
Encyclopedia
Martellus Demond Bennett (born March 10, 1987 in Alief, Houston) is an American football
tight end
for the Dallas Cowboys
of the National Football League
. He played college football
at Texas A&M
.
at Alief Taylor High School
in Alief, Texas. He was a three-year starter and two-time All-District and All-Greater Houston selection at tight end
. As a sophomore
, he averaged 12.4 yards per catch. During his junior
year, he grabbed 13 catches for 170 yards and two touchdowns. In his senior year, he caught a team-high of 42 catches for 487 yards and six touchdowns, earning first-team Class 5A all-state honors from the Texas Sports Writers Association. He also averaged 23 points and 8.2 rebounds per game as a senior in basketball.
As a college football
prospect in his senior
year of high school, Bennett was a five-star recruit ranked by Rivals.com
as the No. 1 tight end and No. 8 best player in the 2005 prospect class. He was recruited by Texas A&M
, Duke
, Kansas
, LSU, Miami
, Oklahoma
, and Texas. Although originally committed to play for Miami, he chose to sign a National Letter of Intent
to play for Texas A&M.
After his senior season, Bennett decided to declare for the 2005 NBA Draft
, though did not hire an agent
, intending to go to college if he did not get selected in the first round. NBA scouts informed him that it was unlikely he would, causing him to withdraw from the draft a few days prior. As a result, he decided to enroll in classes in the second summer session at Texas A&M.
, given annually to the nation's top tight end, after making 38 catches for 497 yards and three touchdowns. On October 28, 2006, he caught a career-high of 133 yards and two touchdowns on five catches against Baylor
. He was named the Mackey Award Player of the Week after the game. He finished his sophomore season with All-Big 12 Second Team honors. In his junior season, he made 49 receptions for 587 yards and four touchdowns. After his junior season, an NFL committee indicated to Bennett that he would be a first or second-round pick in the NFL Draft
, so Bennett decided to skip his senior season and declare early.
In his three seasons at Texas A&M University, Bennett caught 105 passes for 1,246 yards and 10 touchdowns. His 105 receptions equal the school record of most receptions by a tight end. He only averaged 34.6 yards per game, though many felt that his head coach, Dennis Franchione
, who ran a run-oriented offense, did not properly utilize his talent. After his sophomore season, Bennett recorded a rap song called "Throw me the ball coach," and made a remix
of it with his teammates.
Bennett also played basketball for Texas A&M for two seasons under head coach Billy Gillispie
, but decided to focus on football in January 2007. In the 2005–06 season—his first—he became the first Texas A&M athlete since 1969 to letter in both basketball and football. He played in 26 games his freshman season, averaging 1.9 points and 1.5 rebounds. In his sophomore season, before choosing football, he averaged 0.5 points and 0.5 rebounds.
(34 inches) and fifth in the broad jump (9–9). Along with 30 other prospects, he was invited to the Dallas Cowboys
' Valley Ranch headquarters for a pre-draft visit on April 17–18, 2008.
A week prior to the draft, an Associated Press
sports writer critiqued Bennett's playing abilities as follows: "Played basketball for the Aggies as well, and has the athletic ability to be a nice red-zone target. Lack of speed means he’s not a deep threat, but once he improves his routes, his strength and size should make him an asset. Needs to improve zone recognition, too. Good, aggressive blocker."
in the second round (61st overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft
. According to Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones
, Bennett was selected not because they needed a backup tight end, but to "add a new dimension" by being part of a two tight end offense. In the 2008 preseason, Bennett learned technique from tight end Jason Witten
. During the preseason camps, the documentary series Hard Knocks
initially portrayed Martellus as a lazy and unmotivated player. Although Bennett was initially having trouble learning the Cowboys' offense, he worked hard to improve, as later episodes of Hard Knocks showed.
Bennett agreed to a four-year contract with the team on July 24. He was given the No. 2 tight end position over Tony Curtis. Bennett finished his rookie season with 20 receptions for 283 yards and four touchdowns.
In his second season, Bennett compiled only 15 catches for 159 yards and no touchdowns. In a January 2010 news conference following the season, Jerry Jones indicated that while Bennett has breakout potential, he needs to put in the focus to meet it.. Despite a left ankle sprain in the preseason, he responded in 2010 with a career high 33 catches, but for only 260 yards and no touchdowns.
Bennett raised some eyebrows during a radio interview when he stated that backup quarterback Jon Kitna
deserved a chance to compete for the starting quarterback job after filling in for the injured Tony Romo
during the 2010 season. He had an injury plagued preseason in 2011, with an injured hamstring and right high ankle strain keeping him out of two out of four preseason games. He is expected to miss the season opener, as well.
tight end Kevin Everett
. After Everett's career-ending neck injury in 2007
, Bennett chose to honor Everett by wearing his jersey number for two games during his 2007 junior season at Texas A&M.
He is also known for his sense of humor. As a Fort Worth Star-Telegram
reporter put it, Bennett "had more memorable quotes than memorable catches at Texas A&M". After being drafted by the Cowboys, Bennett stated, when referring to incumbent quarterback Tony Romo
: "Any quarterback that can get Jessica Simpson
, I’ve got to play with him". The Cowboys addressed his comment shortly afterwards. During an interview at the NFL Combine, when asked about his interest in both basketball and football, he responded: "Football is my wife
and basketball is my mistress
".
In January 2009, Bennett was fined $22,000 for an explicit rap song he posted on YouTube
.
Martellus has one sibling named Michael, who played defensive end for Texas A&M and plays defensive end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
. Their parents are Penny and Michael Bennett Sr.
In 2011, Bennett married Siggi Walker from Oakland, CA. She studied Psychology at Sarah Lawrence College and attended Marin Academy High School in San Rafael, CA. They currently live together in Dallas, TX. Martellus is also a FC Dallas
fan, and has been spotted watching their practices and games.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
.
Early years
Bennett played football and basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
at Alief Taylor High School
Alief Taylor High School
Alief Taylor High School is a public high school, located in Alief Independent School District in unincorporated Harris County, Texas. Opened in 2001, Alief Taylor is the newest high school in Alief ISD...
in Alief, Texas. He was a three-year starter and two-time All-District and All-Greater Houston selection at tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
. As a sophomore
Tenth grade
In majority of the world,Tenth grade is the tenth year of school post-kindergarten. The variants of "10th grade" in various nations is described below.-Australia:...
, he averaged 12.4 yards per catch. During his junior
Eleventh grade
Eleventh Grade is the eleventh, and for some countries final, grade of secondary schools. Students are typically 16 or 17 years of age, depending on the country and the students' birthdays.-Brazil:...
year, he grabbed 13 catches for 170 yards and two touchdowns. In his senior year, he caught a team-high of 42 catches for 487 yards and six touchdowns, earning first-team Class 5A all-state honors from the Texas Sports Writers Association. He also averaged 23 points and 8.2 rebounds per game as a senior in basketball.
As a college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
prospect in his senior
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
year of high school, Bennett was a five-star recruit ranked by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
as the No. 1 tight end and No. 8 best player in the 2005 prospect class. He was recruited by Texas A&M
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, Duke
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
, LSU, Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
, and Texas. Although originally committed to play for Miami, he chose to sign a National Letter of Intent
National Letter of Intent
The National Letter of Intent is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating NCAA colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manages the daily operations of the NLI program while the Collegiate Commissioners Association provides...
to play for Texas A&M.
After his senior season, Bennett decided to declare for the 2005 NBA Draft
2005 NBA Draft
The 2005 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 2005 in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and non-North American leagues...
, though did not hire an agent
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
, intending to go to college if he did not get selected in the first round. NBA scouts informed him that it was unlikely he would, causing him to withdraw from the draft a few days prior. As a result, he decided to enroll in classes in the second summer session at Texas A&M.
College career
In his freshman season at Texas A&M University, he caught 18 passes for 162 yards and 3 touchdowns, earning freshman All-American honors from Sporting News. In his sophomore season, he was named one of eight semifinalists for the John Mackey AwardJohn Mackey Award
The John Mackey Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding tight end.The award is given to the collegiate tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, academics, and community values of NFL Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey....
, given annually to the nation's top tight end, after making 38 catches for 497 yards and three touchdowns. On October 28, 2006, he caught a career-high of 133 yards and two touchdowns on five catches against Baylor
Baylor Bears
Baylor Bears refers to the sports teams of Baylor University. Baylor's men's sports teams are nicknamed the Bears, and some women's teams are nicknamed the Lady Bears. Student athletes participate in the NCAA's Division I, and Baylor is the only private school in the Big 12 Conference...
. He was named the Mackey Award Player of the Week after the game. He finished his sophomore season with All-Big 12 Second Team honors. In his junior season, he made 49 receptions for 587 yards and four touchdowns. After his junior season, an NFL committee indicated to Bennett that he would be a first or second-round pick in the NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
, so Bennett decided to skip his senior season and declare early.
In his three seasons at Texas A&M University, Bennett caught 105 passes for 1,246 yards and 10 touchdowns. His 105 receptions equal the school record of most receptions by a tight end. He only averaged 34.6 yards per game, though many felt that his head coach, Dennis Franchione
Dennis Franchione
Dennis Wayne Franchione , also known as Coach Fran, is an American football coach. He is currently the head football coach at Texas State University, a position he held from 1990 to 1991, when the school was known as Southwest Texas State University, and resumed in 2011...
, who ran a run-oriented offense, did not properly utilize his talent. After his sophomore season, Bennett recorded a rap song called "Throw me the ball coach," and made a remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
of it with his teammates.
Bennett also played basketball for Texas A&M for two seasons under head coach Billy Gillispie
Billy Gillispie
Billy Clyde Gillispie , also known by his initials BCG, is an American college basketball coach. Since 2011, he has been the current head coach of the men's basketball team at Texas Tech University...
, but decided to focus on football in January 2007. In the 2005–06 season—his first—he became the first Texas A&M athlete since 1969 to letter in both basketball and football. He played in 26 games his freshman season, averaging 1.9 points and 1.5 rebounds. In his sophomore season, before choosing football, he averaged 0.5 points and 0.5 rebounds.
Pre-draft
At the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine, Bennett finished the 40-yard dash in 4.68 seconds, ranking seventh out of the eight tight ends in his group. He ranked third in the vertical jumpVertical jump
A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is...
(34 inches) and fifth in the broad jump (9–9). Along with 30 other prospects, he was invited to the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
' Valley Ranch headquarters for a pre-draft visit on April 17–18, 2008.
A week prior to the draft, an Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
sports writer critiqued Bennett's playing abilities as follows: "Played basketball for the Aggies as well, and has the athletic ability to be a nice red-zone target. Lack of speed means he’s not a deep threat, but once he improves his routes, his strength and size should make him an asset. Needs to improve zone recognition, too. Good, aggressive blocker."
Dallas Cowboys
Bennett was selected by the Dallas CowboysDallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in the second round (61st overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. According to Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones
Jerry Jones
Jerral "Jerry" Wayne Jones is the owner and general manager of the NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys.-Early life:Jones was born in Los Angeles, California. His family moved to North Little Rock, Arkansas when he was an infant. Jones was a star running back at North Little Rock High School...
, Bennett was selected not because they needed a backup tight end, but to "add a new dimension" by being part of a two tight end offense. In the 2008 preseason, Bennett learned technique from tight end Jason Witten
Jason Witten
Christopher Jason Witten is an American football tight end who plays for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Tennessee....
. During the preseason camps, the documentary series Hard Knocks
Hard Knocks (TV series)
Hard Knocks is a reality sports documentary television series produced by NFL Films and HBO. The series follows a select National Football League team through its training camp and provides an in-depth perspective of the team's preparation for the upcoming season. The series is described as one of...
initially portrayed Martellus as a lazy and unmotivated player. Although Bennett was initially having trouble learning the Cowboys' offense, he worked hard to improve, as later episodes of Hard Knocks showed.
Bennett agreed to a four-year contract with the team on July 24. He was given the No. 2 tight end position over Tony Curtis. Bennett finished his rookie season with 20 receptions for 283 yards and four touchdowns.
In his second season, Bennett compiled only 15 catches for 159 yards and no touchdowns. In a January 2010 news conference following the season, Jerry Jones indicated that while Bennett has breakout potential, he needs to put in the focus to meet it.. Despite a left ankle sprain in the preseason, he responded in 2010 with a career high 33 catches, but for only 260 yards and no touchdowns.
Bennett raised some eyebrows during a radio interview when he stated that backup quarterback Jon Kitna
Jon Kitna
Jon K. Kitna is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
deserved a chance to compete for the starting quarterback job after filling in for the injured Tony Romo
Tony Romo
Antonio Ramiro "Tony" Romo is a professional American football quarterback in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys. Romo's career passer rating - at 95.8 - ranks third-best all time. Tony Romo didn't play in the regular season in 2003, 2004, or 2005...
during the 2010 season. He had an injury plagued preseason in 2011, with an injured hamstring and right high ankle strain keeping him out of two out of four preseason games. He is expected to miss the season opener, as well.
Personal
Bennett is a friend of former Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
tight end Kevin Everett
Kevin Everett
Kevin Everett, is a former American football tight end who played for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bills in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
. After Everett's career-ending neck injury in 2007
2007 Buffalo Bills season
The 2007 Buffalo Bills season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and their 48th season overall. They finished their 2007 season with a record of 7–9 and tied their 7–9 record in 2006 but failed to qualify for the playoffs, and continues a playoff appearance drought...
, Bennett chose to honor Everett by wearing his jersey number for two games during his 2007 junior season at Texas A&M.
He is also known for his sense of humor. As a Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is a major U.S. daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. Its area of domination is checked by its main rival, The Dallas Morning News, which is published from the eastern half of the Metroplex. It is owned...
reporter put it, Bennett "had more memorable quotes than memorable catches at Texas A&M". After being drafted by the Cowboys, Bennett stated, when referring to incumbent quarterback Tony Romo
Tony Romo
Antonio Ramiro "Tony" Romo is a professional American football quarterback in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys. Romo's career passer rating - at 95.8 - ranks third-best all time. Tony Romo didn't play in the regular season in 2003, 2004, or 2005...
: "Any quarterback that can get Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Ann Simpson is an American recording artist, actress, television personality, and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies, and commercials, launched a line of hair and...
, I’ve got to play with him". The Cowboys addressed his comment shortly afterwards. During an interview at the NFL Combine, when asked about his interest in both basketball and football, he responded: "Football is my wife
Wife
A wife is a female partner in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the wife regarding her spouse and others, and her status in the community and in law, varies between cultures and has varied over time.-Origin and etymology:...
and basketball is my mistress
Mistress (lover)
A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...
".
In January 2009, Bennett was fined $22,000 for an explicit rap song he posted on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Martellus has one sibling named Michael, who played defensive end for Texas A&M and plays defensive end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. Their parents are Penny and Michael Bennett Sr.
In 2011, Bennett married Siggi Walker from Oakland, CA. She studied Psychology at Sarah Lawrence College and attended Marin Academy High School in San Rafael, CA. They currently live together in Dallas, TX. Martellus is also a FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
fan, and has been spotted watching their practices and games.