Martellus Bennett responds to Jets rookie willing to die on field
By Mark Gunnels
New York Jets rookie safety Jamal Adams says he’s willing to die on the football field, but veteran Martellus Bennett has a different mindset.
Football is back, which means Roger Goodell is constantly on the move. Earlier today, the NFL Commissioner held a fan forum in the New York Jets auditorium.
According to ESPN, there were roughly 150 season ticket holders in attendance.
Topics ranged from various subjects, but when the focal point turned to CTE and player safety, Jamal Adams stole the show with the following statement.
"“I can speak for a lot of guys that play the game,” he said. “We live and breathe it. This is what we’re so passionate about. Literally, if I had a perfect place to die, I would die on the field. And that’s not a lie. There’s so much sacrifice that we go through as a team, and just connecting as one and winning ball games. There’s nothing like playing the game of football. But again, I’m all about making the game safer.”"
In true die-hard fashion, the fans started cheering Adams on. However, Green Bay Packers tight end Martellus Bennett wasn’t feeling Adams’ remarks one bit.
Just recently, doctors at Boston University and the VA Boston Healthcare System did a study and found 177 of the 202 donated brains from former football players at all levels of the sport revealed evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
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In the wake of those astonishing numbers and Adams’ comments, Goodell did some damage control.
"“I think what he was really making the point of is how much he loved the game and how passionate he is about the game,” Goodell told reporters. “It’s just something that means a great deal to him. I get the emotion of that.”"
At the end of the day, it’s highly doubtful that Adams was being literal. His quote is just a testament to his passion for the game. But Bennett’s response was pretty much on point as well.