Quinoa and kale? Seahawk Michael Bennett scoffs at Thanksgiving in Seattle

When it comes to free spirits on the Seahawks, you’d be hard-pressed to find one freer (and funnier) than defensive end Michael Bennett.

That spirit was on full display when Bennett paid a visit to The Barbershop on 710 ESPN Seattle Tuesday night, where he dished on everything from the unique inspirations for his signature beard, to his take on the big difference between what he finds on his Thanksgiving plate between Seattle and his Houston, Texas home. (He also offered some interesting insights about what’s going on with the Seahawks.)

With most of us talking turkey Wednesday, Bennett scoffs at what he’s found on his plate celebrating Thanksgiving in Seattle.

“You have quinoa, asparagus, kale, au gratin potatoes,” he says.

It’s a far cry from what’s on the menu back home.

“If I’m home, we’ve got some gumbo, we’ve got
some collard greens, we’ve got that stuffing, fried turkey, fried chicken, pork chops. That’s all on one plate,” Bennett laughs.

Oh, and don’t forget the sweet Hawaiian rolls with extra butter or the five different types of chocolate cake. For those keeping score, it’s definitely sweet potato, not pumpkin pie.

What about green bean casserole?

“It’s like eating fruit cake. I don’t want to do it, I won’t do it.”

A big challenge is keeping all that goodness out of his unique facial hair, which he admits he aspired to sport from a young age.

“I always wanted a beard when I was a kid,” Bennett says. “I think every wise person had a beard – Moses, Caesar, Genghis Khan – I’m not saying he was wise, he was a good leader – I was just like, ‘Hey when I get a chance, I’m going to grow me a beard.'”

While a pretty fun and funny guy off the field, Bennett can also be all business between the lines, where he says the Seahawks are finally playing to their potential after a series of injuries decimated the defense for weeks.

“I think we got a lot of guys back and we were able to catch up right where we left off. I mean we were playing pretty good football before the bye week.”

Looking ahead to Thursday’s prime time showdown with the San Francisco 49ers, you’d figure Bennett and his fellow teammates are filled with hate for their fierce rival. But Bennett says philosophically, much of that is actually fueled far more by fans than players (although Richard Sherman and Michael Crabtree might beg to differ.)

“Some people are friends with players on the other team, so to them it’s a job and you have to go out and perform at the highest level, but with some people I can see how it can be taken to be more than it is,” he admits.

So who are his friends in football? At the end of the day, Bennett says he really only has two.

“Just Benjamin and Franklin,” he laughs.

Listen to Bennett’s entire interview, including his take on the Marshawn Lynch situation, his unique acting style in some local commercials, and why he’s called “Black Santa” here.