The New York Times - USA (2020-07-22)

B10 N THE NEW YORK TIMES SPORTSWEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2020

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Michael Bennett, the standout
defensive end who spoke out
forcefully against racial injustice
during his career, said he was re-
tiring after an 11-year N.F.L. ca-
reer, primarily with the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers and the Seattle
Seahawks.
“Retiring feels a little like death
of self, but I’m looking forward to
the rebirth — the opportunity to
reimagine my purpose,” Bennett,
34, wrote on Instagram. “I have
never been more at peace in my
life.”
Bennett, like his younger
brother, Martellus, a tight end
who last played in the N.F.L. in the
2017 season, never shied away
from sharing his opinions. In 2017,
after the white nationalist rally in
Charlottesville, Va., Bennett was
part of a group of players who be-
gan protesting during the playing
of the national anthem to raise
awareness of police brutality and
other forms of injustice. But while
most players knelt or raised a fist
during the anthem, Bennett drew
extra attention because he chose
to sit on the bench.
He was later joined by a white
teammate, offensive lineman Jus-

tin Britt, who put his hand on Ben-

nett’s shoulder in solidarity.

Doug Baldwin, a Seahawks

wide receiver who retired after

the 2018 season, said Bennett was

never afraid to share his opinions,

often backed by data, in and out of

the locker room. But he was also

willing to listen to others who did

not agree with him. At the same

time, he followed unconventional

paths, as when he chose to sit dur-

ing the national anthem.

“Obviously, he cared deeply

about the same issues as we did,

but he had his own way fighting

and speaking out,” Baldwin said.

“He was never afraid to express

himself. Whether it was trying to

bring people together or being di-

visive, his intention was to get

people to look outside them-

selves.”

Bennett’s protests were in-

formed by his personal experi-

ence. In August 2017, Bennett was

outside a Las Vegas nightclub

when the police were investigat-

ing a report of shots fired. Two offi-

cers approached Bennett and

eventually handcuffed him at gun-

point. Bennett later said that the

officers had racially profiled him

and used excessive force, includ-

ing an officer kneeling on his back.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Po-

lice Department denied that its

force was unwarranted.

In 2018, Bennett was indicted on

a felony charge, accused of as-

saulting an elderly security guard

when he rushed the field after the

2017 Super Bowl, which Martellus

won as a member of the New Eng-

land Patriots. The charge was dis-

missed in 2019 because of a lack of

evidence.

He shared his views about ra-

cial inequality, police violence and

athletes’ roles in protest move-

ments in “Things That Make

White People Uncomfortable,” a

book he co-wrote that was re-

leased in 2018.

In college, he said he was aston-

ished at how white coaches tried

to mold Black players in their im-

age.

Bennett said about his experi-

ence at Texas A&M: “We had

white coaches, and they wanted

the Black players to be the em-

bodiment of who they were. They

would tell us to wear our pants

and shoes a certain way; this is

what it meant to ‘be a man.’ ”

He called out the N.F.L. for ef-

fectively banning Colin Kaeper-

nick, the former San Francisco

49ers quarterback who began

kneeling during the national an-

them in 2016 but who has gone un-

signed since becoming a free

agent after that season.

“The N.F.L. holds up as leaders

players who have been accused of

rape, violence against women,

and even manslaughter,” Bennett

wrote. “They’re right in front of

us, playing quarterback and win-

ning Super Bowl M.V.P. awards.

I’d much rather call a leader

someone who helps his communi-

ty.”

Bennett was signed by the Sea-

hawks as an undrafted free agent

in 2009. He was waived early that

season and picked up by the Buc-

caneers, who moved him to defen-

sive tackle.

After four seasons at Tampa

Bay, the Seahawks signed him

again, this time to a one-year con-

tract in 2013. He joined what was

already the league’s most domi-

nant defense, helping the Sea-

hawks win their only Super Bowl

championship that season in large

part because of a strong pass rush

and defensive backfield.

Bennett was chosen to play in

the Pro Bowl three times in his ca-

reer. In 2018, he was traded to the

Philadelphia Eagles, where he

played one season.

In 2019, he played with the Pa-

triots and the Dallas Cowboys.

Last October, the Patriots sus-

pended him for one week, citing

conduct detrimental to the team;

Bennett said it was after a philo-

sophical disagreement with his

position coach.

In the button-down, just-do-

your-job world of the N.F.L., Ben-

nett never seemed to shy away

from asking questions and philo-

sophical disagreements.

“But if you don’t ask why, noth-

ing, not a damn thing, is ever go-

ing to change,” he wrote.

Bennett, Top Defensive End and Leading Voice for Racial Justice, Retires

By KEN BELSON

Michael Bennett was named to the Pro Bowl three times in his

11-year career and won a Super Bowl with Seattle in 2014.

JOE NICHOLSON/USA TODAY SPORTS, VIA REUTERS

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