For the first time since Aaron Hernandez teamed up with Rob Gronkowski to form a dynamic tight end duo on the field, the New England Patriots will boast two Pro Bowl caliber tight ends on the roster at the same time.
However, the Pats won’t have to worry about this particular tight end showing up on police blotters and in murder investigations.
The team acquired veteran Martellus Bennett from the Chicago Bears in a trade during the spring, giving quarterback Tom Brady yet another solid weapon to work with.
Off the field, Bennett apparently spends his free time creating a children’s books and games.
His first book, titled “Hey A.J.,”gives children the ability to follow along with the story by playing fun games and interacting with the characters on a mobile app.
For Bennett, this is something he’s been working towards his whole life. It’s not a side project. Instead, he’s been developing the characters and the ideas for years now.
“The initial idea started when I was a child. Anytime I read books as a child, I wanted the characters to move and be able to jump from one page to another page,” Bennett told Tech Crunch recently. “And as technology grew, I saw an opportunity to do that for a book I was creating to give other kids who dreamed the same things I dreamed of to have the opportunity to interact with a book the way I wanted to.”
It really is a splendid idea. Keeping children engaged as they learn through their formative years is one of the hardest tricks in the education business. Bennett seems to have found a nice little niche in this area.
What’s really cool about Bennett’s idea is that the linked game on the app cannot be played until the child has finished reading the book.
Bennett’s start-up, The Imagination Agency, is planning on releasing two more apps and books over the next year. It also appears the tight end isn’t going to stop with A.J.
The tight end indicated that he has hundreds of characters in his head that are “ready to come to life.”
Way to be, Mr. Bennett. Way to be.