Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett is more than one of the NFL's best pass rushers. He's also a smart guy with thoughts on a variety of non-football-related topics that span the gamut, from the premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (don't know if you've heard about it) to legalizing marijuana to why he has a beard (oddly, 'because Obi-Wan had one' isn't the answer).
The Force Awakens for Master Jedi @mosesbread72 in the latest @si_nfl issue. [https://t.co/vPc3UuYxIF] #2MoreDays pic.twitter.com/jaJr9WeHM3
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) December 17, 2015
Here's an excerpt of his Q&A with Sports Illlustrated, which will be published in its entirety on Dec. 21.
On "Star Wars": “I’m a 'Star Wars' guy. It’s so funny: This is a make-believe world, but people are upset about the fact that [actor John Boyega, who plays a stormtrooper in the new movie] is black. People are racist, and they don’t even know why they’re racist; they’re racist in a fake world!”
On legalizing marijuana: “If you’re going to legalize cigarettes and liquor, I don’t see why marijuana shouldn’t be legalized. At the end of the day they all do the same thing.”
Who wants to see #TheForceAwakens with me tomorrow at @PacSci? How to win with @Uber_SEA: https://t.co/HFJuUCOedS pic.twitter.com/E7mttSWWYU
— Michael Bennett (@mosesbread72) December 16, 2015
About that beard: “In the history of time, every wise man had a beard … Jesus had a beard. Moses had a beard. Abraham had a beard. Malcolm X had a beard. It’s a wisdom thing.”
On gun rights: “Getting a gun should be harder than getting a mortgage. When people have guns, they tend to use them."
Bennett even weighed in on a football topc -- the current state of the player's union: "We can’t come to agreement on things. That’s why we’re so weak in bargaining. We’re the weakest group of all the sports … The biggest players, the Peyton Mannings, they do their thing. You don’t see Peyton Manning coming out and saying, This, this, that, that."