When the Packers drafted Aaron Rodgers in 2005, he received anything but a warm welcome from his new teammates in Green Bay. For the first few years under Brett Favre, Rodgers was the brunt of mean-spirited jokes and harsh bullying from the HOF quarterback and his loyal followers. He wasn’t received with open arms, to put it lightly.
Fortunately for Green Bay’s new tight end Martellus Bennett, life as a cheesehead has been much more inviting so far. Of course, Bennett has the benefit of being not only a veteran of the league, but an extremely talented one at that. He’s a spirited player who clearly loves the game on the field and makes a strong effort to connect with both his new teammates and new fan base off the field.
One of those teammates it seems Bennett has built a strong bond with is defensive lineman Mike Daniels. The two larger-than-life players started their doting relationship on twitter following a ‘Good Morning Football’ segment earlier this year in which Daniels praised Bennett for the energy he brings to the field. Bennett quickly showed the love right back to Daniels by saying he ‘wouldn’t let him down.’
Now, what started as a twitter bromance has quickly flourished into locker room love from both parties. Following training camp practice earlier this week, Daniels aka ‘Muscle Mike’ grabbed a reporter’s microphone to conduct this hilarious interview with his new BFF about his on-field performance and how he feels about being able to wear a cheese head.
“Are you happy you finally get to throw on a cheesehead?” Daniels asked jokingly, to which Bennett responded that he usually likes the metaphorical cheese in his pocket but he’s just as happy to put the cheese on his head. Only in Wisconsin can two grown men bond over yellow cheese.
It’s no surprise that Bennett and Daniels have formed such a quick and tight friendship. Aside from their easy-going personalities, it seems the two have a mutual appreciation for the arts. Bennett, who famously runs a side business known as The Imagination Agency, which focuses on inspiring creativity in children, is also an artist and illustrator in his down time. Likewise, Daniels has been a loyal follower of Japanese anime for decades. In fact, earlier this week Daniels headed to San Diego where he attended the city’s Comic Con festival dressed as his favorite anime character, Raikage.
In a time when it seems like the NFL is daunted with negative press, it’s refreshing to see two players who are able bring light and positivity to the game. Daniels and Bennett may not play on the same side of the ball, but their upbeat energy and lighthearted friendship is certainly breath of fresh air for everyone watching.