‘Crazy’ brothers Michael, Martellus Bennett reluctantly set to square off

RENTON, Wash. Cliff Avril’s description of the NFL brothers Bennett, Seattle defensive lineman Michael and Chicago tight end Martellus?

“They are crazy,” said Avril, who considers himself a good friend of both. “They’re funny. They’re hilarious. They’re good guys. It’s just nothing but laughter because both of them are crazy.”

Martellus’ description?

“I just think we’re two of the most normal people in the NFL,” Martellus said. “I think everybody else are the weird ones.”

Most who know the brothers, each as famous for his gift of gab as his flair for football, would likely side with Avril.

“Both of them seem a little different,” said Seattle safety Earl Thomas.

Sunday, they will also be on different sides of the line of scrimmage when the Seahawks and Bears play at 1:25 p.m. at CenturyLink Field.

It’s the first time they have played against each other in a regular-season game since 2012, when Michael Bennett was with Tampa Bay and Martellus was with Dallas. (They also played each other in a Seahawks-Bears exhibition game in 2014, though neither played much).

Michael Bennett doesn’t remember having to hit Martellus in that 2012 game, and hopes he can avoid it again.

“It’s always the same feeling butterflies in your stomach,” Michael Bennett said. “You don’t want to knock him down too much.”

Michael Bennett says that’s how it has always been between him and Martellus, who is younger by about 18 months (Michael Bennett turns 30 in November, Martellus turned 28 in March).

While the typical story of two brothers who ended up becoming professional athletes might feature lots of anecdotes of games and battles fought long into the night, the Bennetts say that was rarely the case. They grew up in Alief, Texas, outside of Houston. When they each played at Texas A&M, coaches often placed them in different groups because they thought they wouldn’t go as hard against each other.

“We’ve never been two of those brothers that are super competitive against each other,” Martellus said this week. “We’ve always been on the same team. So I kind of dread lining up against him. But it’s just one of those things that we have to do.”

The two, in fact, slept in the same bed for a while as kids and have personalities some have say seems closer to twins than brothers.

“They are so similar it’s ridiculous,” Avril said.

Michael Bennett says their voices and vocal inflections are alike enough that their young children are sometimes confused by which one is speaking when they are together.

Where they differ a little is in size Martellus, is 6-feet-6, two inches taller than Michael, which helped lead to him become a tight end. He caught 90 passes last season, breaking a Chicago franchise record for receptions at that position held by Mike Ditka.

“He’s bigger and taller than most tight ends nowadays,” Avril said. “And he’s crafty. He’s always trying to get you out of position with a tug here or a tug there.”

Michael Bennett said he figures and hopes that Avril will line up over Martellus.

Should strong safety Kam Chancellor play, the job of covering Martellus will often fall to him

“I’m like, ‘damn, Kam. You came back this week?’ ” Michael Bennett said.

They usually share who they’ll match up against on Sundays on FaceTime sessions before games. Not this week.

They’ll skip their video call this week, Michael Bennett said, and catch up on the field before a game each is approaching reluctantly.

“It’s kind of uncomfortable,” Michael Bennett said of potentially meeting up with Martellus on the line.

“You’re so aggressive up front. ... I try not to think about that that’s my brother right there.”

(c)2015 The Seattle Times

Visit The Seattle Times at www.seattletimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.