Martellus Bennett makes Super Bowl debut in his hometown of Houston

Martellus Bennett grew up in Houston, developing into a five-star football recruit at Alief Taylor High School. On Sunday, he’ll play the biggest game of his professional career in his backyard with the Patriots facing the Falcons in Super Bowl LI.

The significance of this return wasn’t lost on the New England tight end.

“It all started here. This is where my roots are. This is where it all began,” he told the Houston Chronicle on Super Bowl Opening Night. “It would be awesome to bring a trophy home. I don’t have to go anywhere.”

Bennett will be a focal point of the New England offense Sunday after putting together one of the finest seasons of his nine-year NFL career. After the Bears traded him last offseason, he set a personal record with seven touchdowns in his first season with the Patriots, despite battling nagging leg injuries throughout the season. He’s filled in admirably for Rob Gronkowski, who appeared in only eight games for the Patriots in 2016.

Those big performances grew from modest roots.

The 6’6 athletic specimen was a two-sport star at Alief Taylor, standing out as one of the Lone Star State’s top prospects both on the hardwood and on the gridiron. Some services ranked him as high as the state’s No. 3 basketball prospect coming out of high school, leading him to declare for the NBA Draft shortly after signing his national letter of intent to play football for Texas A&M.

When scouts informed him he was an unlikely first-round candidate, he put his hoop dreams on hold to fulfill his destiny as the nation’s No. 1 tight end prospect. He’d have a familiar face to help him acclimate to his new environment, too — older brother (and future Super Bowl winner) Michael was waiting for him in College Station.

While the duo hasn’t shared a locker room since their days at A&M, they’ll have a big reunion on tap in their hometown for the Super Bowl.

The city was the setting that molded the Bennett brothers into NFL stars. Without Texas, Bennett may not have even found his way to the gridiron. The tight end explained how growing up in a football-crazy state helped shape his future.

“When I was a kid, I wasn’t thinking about that with my imagination,” Bennett told reporters Saturday. “It was more about dragons and wizards. Football was just what we did. In Texas if you don’t play football you’re a weirdo, you know, so I always laugh because I tell people, Texas is all football and God. Growing up there, just playing football there, we didn’t have to imagine it. It’s what we did, you know?”

While Bennett is proud of his roots, he’s also taken strides to show appreciation for his new hometown. He recently paired up with Boston Children’s Hospital to gift recovering patients pillows sculpted in his image.

Bennett has made an impact wherever he’s gone, but he doesn’t have a history of success in his hometown. As an NFL tight end, he’s only played once in NRG Stadium, catching three passes for 26 yards in a 2010 Bears win over the Texans. On Sunday, he’ll have the chance to step up his game and make an impact in the city where he first built his name as one of the nation’s most explosive athletes.