Martellus Bennett on time in Dallas: 'I didn’t have room to be myself'
When the Cowboys travel to Soldier Field on Thursday night, Bears tight end Martellus Bennett will have an opportunity to go up against the team for which he played his first four NFL seasons.
Speaking with reporters during a conference call Monday, Bennett reflected on his time in Dallas.
“I didn’t have room to be myself,” Bennett said, according to the Dallas Morning News. “They always told me, ‘Do it like Witten. Be like Witten.’ I think they had a guy who played tight end the right way and they wanted me to do it exactly like him. But really if you try to imitate someone else, you can never really be who you are.
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“Being a young player coming out of college — turning 21 after the draft and trying to change everything up to be like someone else – that’s just not the way to go in anything in life. Dr. Seuss said, ‘No one can be ‘youer’ than you.’”
In March 2012, Bennett signed a one-year, $2.5 million free agent contract with the rival Giants. He played for one year in New York, before moving on to the Chicago Bears.
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In Dallas, Bennett was the second-string tight end behind Witten, but did start 31 games over his four seasons. Bennett finished his time as a Cowboy with 85 catches for 846 yards and four touchdowns. This season in Chicago, Bennett has 65 catches for 737 yards and five touchdowns.
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