“There aren't many children's books about black characters that are just going on adventures. My library has over 2,000 children's books in it, and most of the protagonists are either white or creatures.”

American children's author and former NFL tight end

Martellus Bennett is an American former professional football tight end and children’s author. Born in 1987, he played 10 seasons in the National Football League, and later turned to writing for young readers. He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies and was named second-team All-Big 12 in 2006. The Dallas Cowboys selected him in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft. During his NFL career he played for five teams, most notably the Chicago Bears, where he earned Pro Bowl honors, and the New England Patriots, with whom he won Super Bowl LI. After retiring, he began publishing children’s books through his company, The Imagination Agency.