November 01, 2006
Texas A&M sophomore Martellus Bennett has been named the John Mackey Award Tight End of the Week for his efforts in the Aggies?â„¢ crucial Big 12 road win at Baylor on Saturday. The John Mackey Award, presented by the Nassau County Sports Commission, is given annually to the most outstanding tight end in college football. The award is named after five-time Pro Bowl tight end and NFL Hall of Famer John Mackey.
Against the Bears, Bennett caught five passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns. The 133 receiving yards and two touchdowns both served as career highs for Bennett and season highs for all Aggie receivers.
In the first quarter, Bennett made an acrobatic catch on a second and long play in Baylor territory for a 19-yard gain and a first down. Three plays later, Bennett snagged a three-yard touchdown toss from Stephen McGee to put the Aggies on the board. Bennett?â„¢s biggest play however came halfway through the second quarter as he took a six-yard slant and broke a tackle then outran the Baylor secondary for a 75-yard touchdown catch. On the evening all five of Bennett?â„¢s catches produced either a touchdown or a first down and four out of the five resulted in a gain of 17 yards or more.
For the season Bennett has 29 catches for 417 yards and three touchdowns. The 417 receiving yards are tops in the Big 12 among tight ends. Bennett?â„¢s 14.4 yards per catch is also the best in the Big 12 for tight ends with at least 10 catches.