RENTON — Michael Bennett is a complex individual.
One moment the Seattle Seahawks’ Pro Bowl defensive end can be found at the center of a fight at practice, having to be restrained by teammates. The next he’s spontaneously gathering a group of kids post-practice to conduct the Seahawks Olympics.
So it was unsurprising when Bennett had a complex response when quizzed Monday about his dust-up with offensive tackle Bradley Sowell.
Bennett and Sowell sparred during Sunday’s practice, an incident that was the most contentious of a Seahawks preseason that’s had no shortage of heated moments. It began with Bennett and Sowell slamming one another to the turf during a one-on-one passing-rushing drill, then escalated to where most of the team was involved. Both Bennett and Sowell spent the remainder of practice on the sidelines.
Bennett spoke to reporters following Monday’s practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, and he explained his take on the incident.
“At the end of the day I think it came down to just disrespect,” Bennett said.
“I don’t really treat the game like a game, I treat it like a job and it’s for feeding my family,” Bennett added. “So if somebody’s doing something to injure me, I feel like he’s taking food out of my daughters’ mouths or my wife’s. I take that to heart, so that drives me insane, especially if we’re on the same team. It’s different if it’s another team, but if we’re on the same team I feel like we should respect each other as much to where we’re not trying to hurt each other.
“There’s a lot of problems in the NFL when it comes to injuries and concussions and stuff like that. But I feel like a lot of the time it’s the players who can really control what happens to one another. There’s a code where we have to find where that line is, where it becomes about the other person’s safety.”
But despite Sunday’s fireworks, tempers cooled by the time practice was over. Afterward Bennett and Sowell walked off the field together, and Sowell said the two had lunch together.
“It got heated, but I love Mike,” Sowell said.
“It’s just like if you have a brother,” Sowell added. “If you’re at the house with your brother and you’re fighting over a video game or something, it’s as simple as that. It gets heated, but at the same time we’re both Seahawks, and if somebody ever did that to him I’d have his back any day.”
Bennett said the physical confrontations aren’t unusual for an NFL setting.
“There’s fights everywhere,” Bennett said. “It’s a whole bunch of alpha males running around here, and at the end of the day we’re all fighting for a spot.”
Sunday’s episode was not Bennett’s first tussle with a teammate in practice this preseason. On multiple occasions during training camp he had to be separated from rookie guard Germain Ifedi. That fire is part of what makes Bennett an effective player, one who who finished with a team-high 10 sacks last season as he was named to his first Pro Bowl.
But on Monday Bennett also talked about a side of himself that contrasts with his on-field persona, a side that’s content playing with his three daughters and his dog when he’s at home.
“I’m getting younger by the day,” Bennett said. “Every day I’ve decided to live a stress-free life. Peaceful. I think the more peaceful you are and the less stressful you are, the younger you are. I think that’s where you need to be at to feel young.
“Why be stressed out? I’m young, I’m black, I’m rich in America. I cannot complain.”
Being involved in fights at practice seems to be at odds with the concept of a stress-free life, but Bennett explained the difference.
“That’s part of the game, that’s different,” Bennett said. “This is a whole other arena. This is the actual gladiator arena. You can’t come out here and be too peaceful or you’ll get hurt. But at the end of the day when I go home I try to be as peaceful as I can.”
As to how he’s able to calm down so quickly after tempers had flared, Bennett gave a simple response:
“It’s easy. I’ve got a wife.”
For more on the Seattle sports scene, check out Nick Patterson’s Seattle Sidelines blog at www.heraldnet.com/tag/seattle-sidelines, or follow him on Twitter at @NickHPatterson.
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