Why Michael Bennett Walked Away From Football & Reinvented Himself as an Artist, Activist & Designer

On this episode of NFL Players: Second Acts, hosts Peanut Tillman and Roman Harper sit down with former Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett for a wide-ranging conversation about going undrafted to becoming one of the most disruptive defensive linemen in the NFL. Bennett built a reputation as one of the most versatile and relentless players of his era, but when it was time to step away from the game, he took a surprising turn into art, culture, and activism. Now exploring new passions in architecture and design, Bennett explains why he’s always pushed himself to the limit in everything he does, both on and off the field. The NFL Players: Second Acts podcast is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeart Media. Time Stamps: 00:00 - Cold Open 00:58 - Introduction 01:29 - Why Bobby Wagner Deserved to Win Man Of The Year 03:00 - Looking Back at Being the Seahawks’ 2017 MOY Finalist 05:49 - The Story Behind Michael Bennett’s Tiny Shoulder Pads 07:44 - Michael Bennett’s Rise From Undrafted Player to Super Star 11:15 - Learning the Defensive Line From Cliff Avril 14:13 - Michael's "Welcome to the NFL" Moment 16:37 - The Moment He Knew It Was Time to Walk Away from Football 20:12 - Michael Bennett on Retirement as a Rebirth 22:27 - Going All In on Tennis, Architecture, and More 23:37 - Why Michael Chose Football Over His Other Passions 28:28 - Discovering a New Passion in Design 32:42 - Where Football Ranks Among All His Interests 35:01 - Why Did Michael Bennett Go Undrafted 38:23 - Michael Bennett’s Personal Mount Rushmore 45:41 - Final Thoughts Listen to the podcast here: https://link.podtrac.com/secondacts Watch live local and primetime games, NFL RedZone, and NFL Network on Plus.NFL.com Check out our other channels: NFL Mundo https://www.youtube.com/mundonfl NFL Brasil https://www.youtube.com/c/NFLBrasilOficial NFL UK https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVe0dAja_vZCmvfHXjtdRQA NFL Fantasy Football https://www.youtube.com/nflfantasyfootball NFL Play Football https://www.youtube.com/playfootball NFL Throwback http://www.youtube.com/nflvault NFL Films http://www.youtube.com/nflfilms #NFL #Football #AmericanFootball