FOLLOW THE PIVOT PODCAST: MERCH | https://pivotpodcast.com  YOUTUBE | https://www.youtube.com/thepivotpodcast INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/thepivot TWITTER | https://twitter.com/thepivot TIKTOK | https://tiktok.com/@thepivot FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/thepivotpodcast FOLLOW HAPPY DAD: https://www.instagram.com/happydad FIND HAPPY DAD: https://www.happydad.com/find Don’t miss out on all the NFL and NBA action this week at DraftKings! Sign-up using http://Dkng.co/pivot or USE Promo Code: PIVOT. Extremely talented as a football player, the offers and potential for Martellus to be one of the top Tight Ends in the league was present from day one, but his heart was always on the quality of life and how he would be remembered not for playing a game but for making an impact. One of the most well-rounded and intellectual Black men under the umbrella of the NFL shield, Ryan, Fred, and Channing dive into Marty’s journey and why he may just be the NFL's top creative mind. Marty opens up about his childhood with a single-parent father for the first nine years of his life before his mother, Penny, who provided the perfect balance between playful and stern, joined in his upbringing. Martellus tells the guys the greatest lesson he learned from his parents was to be present. In 2014 during his tenure with The Chicago Bears, Bennett got into a scuffle with teammate Kyle Fuller. He sets the record straight on The Pivot as to why the situation took place and how he’s a man that stands on principle. However, Martellus tells the guys that core values aren’t always taught to young athletes. Taking the stance that coaches only develop athletes physically rather than mentally, Martellus reflects on the importance of his diverse experiences as a kid such as being a Mathlete. Marty talks about his experience venturing into various projects such as samurai training, founding his creative agency, and becoming an author. Channing inquires about where this change in mindset stems from and Marty refers to always looking to update his “software.” He attests his evolution to three things; reading, traveling, and life-changing experiences. Always cognizant that there is more to life than football, Bennett admits that he almost retired from the league after his third season. Channing asks if that awareness resulted in an early career end which Marty admitted that it did play a major role. After taking a sabbatical to Japan, it was a realization about priorities and passion for Martellus when he realized he'd walk 50,000 steps for his love of curiosity and Arts but not for a NFL check. Towards the end of his career, Marty was one of the very few individuals to first take a knee during the National Anthem. But quickly realized that this form of activism wasn’t the best for him and he’d rather use his pen to improve his surroundings. Turning to his creative agency and love for the Arts, Marty describes the etymology of the name of his small creative agency and his mission to restore imagination and playfulness into society. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY)1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/LA/MI/NJ/PA/TN/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA(select parishes)/MI/NJ/NY/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Void in ONT. Valid 1 per new customer. Min. $5 deposit. Min $5 pregame moneyline bet. Bet must win. $200 issued as eight (8) $25 free bets. Sponsored by DK. Ends 11/20/2022 11:59 PM ET. Eligibility restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.draftkings.com/footballterms.#1 Rated Sportsbook App based on Eilers&Krejcik (2Q22). Product Analysis: Testing, Scoring, and Ranking U.S. Sports Betting Apps Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices