FOXBORO, Mass. — Long before he joined the New England Patriots — or squared off against them in Super Bowl XLIX — Michael Bennett admired them from afar.
As a young, aspiring defensive lineman, Bennett looked up to the likes of Richard Seymour, Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork — key members of the dominant, Super Bowl-winning Patriots defenses of the early 2000s.
Now, the 33-year-old pass rusher is looking to forge his own legacy in New England.
“I used to love watching Richard Seymour, Ty Warren — just so many great players in here,” Bennett said Tuesday after his first practice in a Patriots uniform. “I just liked watching them, and the opportunity to play here and follow those guys is just amazing. There’s always been a lot of great D-linemen — Vince — and I’m just happy to be here.”
Bennett, whose younger brother, Martellus, won a Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2016, landed in New England in March following a trade from the Philadelphia Eagles. The shift from Philly to Foxboro both surprised and excited him.
“I guess I was caught off guard,” Bennett said. “But at the same time, I got a chance to talk to Bill (Belichick) and learn the expectations, and I thought it was a good opportunity to play on a team that’s always competing for things. It was a great opportunity.”
He added: “I’m not surprised by any part of this process, because when I was a young kid, I always used to like watching the Patriots play on defense. And now I’ve got a chance to be here, and it just feels really good.”
As he had in recent years, Bennett opted to skip the voluntary portion of the Patriots’ offseason program. Tuesday was Day 1 of the team’s three-day mandatory minicamp.
Despite being away from the team during workouts and organized team activities, Bennett said he hasn’t had any trouble adjusting to his new surroundings.
“I know how to succeed: just listen and do your job,” Bennett said. “That’s how you succeed in the NFL. Just do what you’re asked to and play as hard as you can every down.”
Bennett, whose 10-year NFL career has included stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks and Eagles, tallied nine sacks, 15 tackles for loss and 30 quarterback hits in 16 games for Philadelphia in 2018. He’s expected to play a major role this season as the Patriots look to offset the loss of top pass rusher Trey Flowers, who signed with the Detroit Lions in free agency.
“You see a lot of just hard-nosed football (in New England),” Bennett said. “A lot of great guys that are technically sound, fundamentally sound, and I think that’s what makes this team one of the best teams in the NFL.”
