FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Martellus Bennett will be returning home for Super Bowl LI. He goes back to Houston, where he was a two-sport star at Alief Taylor High School. Where he dreamed of catching a last-second touchdown pass to win the Lombardi Trophy. Where he envisioned himself draining an off-balance 3 at the buzzer to win the NBA title.

Actually, this isn't that kind of Super Bowl story. His childhood was nothing like that.

"As a kid, I wasn't thinking about that with my imagination," said the New England Patriots' pass-catching, pompom-waving tight end. "It was more about dragons and wizards."

The Patriots' Martellus Bennett lightens the mood in a stressful environment, but the tight end insists he has a serious side when he goes to work. Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Bennett, who once compared his mind to a theme park because it's filled with fun and adventurous thoughts, was an atypical kid in the football-obsessed state of Texas. He wanted to be Willy Wonka, not Willie Gault. He's an atypical Patriot because -- how can we put this? -- he's not afraid to show his big personality.

In an organization known for its buttoned-down culture, fostered by a coach who is drier than a Las Vegas weather forecast, Bennett is the wild child. He's so outspoken, so entertaining, that reporters and cameramen will wait 30 minutes for him to show up at his locker. It's all about establishing prime real estate for Marty's musings.

"We all have fun in our own ways," linebacker Dont'a Hightower said, "but I don't think anyone can come close to Marty on that."

It seems to be working.

Bennett gives the Patriots a post-Rob Gronkowski threat at tight end -- a vital position in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' system -- and also lightens the ultra-serious mood with his Marty-isms.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick has created an environment that can be stressful for players because of the relentless scrutiny, as Hightower suggested recently, so it's important to have a player such as Bennett who can defuse the tension.

Of course, if all the Patriots needed was comic relief, they would've signed Chris Rock (probably for the veterans minimum, knowing them). But Bennett has a serious side, too. He does his job, following the Belichick mantra.

"I'm very buttoned-down when it comes to my work," Bennett said. "I'm very diligent with the way that I work and the way that I practice. I don't know, I'm not really like ...

"I just be chillin', bro. I don't really bother nobody and no one bothers me. I work hard. I think everyone appreciates that. I think that's what Coach is really about, just getting our work done. Do your job -- and I do my job all the time."

With a devilish twinkle in his eye, he added, "I just like to have fun doing it."

When the Patriots beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 22, Bennett grabbed a pompom from a cheerleader and joined the on-field dance party to celebrate his first trip to the Super Bowl. "Dancing with the Stars" will be calling any minute, no doubt.

Before the night was over, Bennett tweaked NFL commissioner Roger Goodell ("Where's Roger?") and told reporters he craved a cake with "You're Awesome" written on it. Sure enough, a local bakery delivered.

The talkative tight end had his cake, and he ate it, too, posting a photo of his big bite on social media.

For the first time in his professional life, Bennett, 29, is playing for a championship. Over his first eight seasons, with the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Chicago Bears, he reached the postseason only once (2009, Dallas).

The losing finally got to him in Chicago, where he was perceived by some as a divisive influence in the locker room. He was traded to the Patriots last March, fueling questions about whether he'd conform to The Patriot Way.

Belichick has a knack for converting castoffs and divas into rule-abiding, team-oriented players, and he has had nothing but positive things to say about Bennett's approach. It works because they let him be Marty.

"Each team has its own personality and chemistry," Belichick said. "I don't think there's any way you can orchestrate that as a coach, nor would I try to. Players are all individuals."

By all accounts, Bennett has been a solid citizen under Belichick, although the tight end couldn't resist napalming Halas Hall. In an interview with ESPN The Magazine, which appeared in October, he criticized Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler's leadership and said of the Bears, "We just had a bunch of b------ on the roster. That's why we didn't win games -- and coaches liked the b------."

That's what you call burning a bridge, a mean-spirited remark from a person known for his playful side.

Bennett isn't your typical football player in that he doesn't see the world through his face mask. He's a children's book author, the creator of the "Hey, A.J." series. The words are his, and so are the sketches. He made a 23-minute short movie entitled "Zoovie," and he started his own creative firm called The Imagination Agency.

As a kid, instead of living for football with his brother, Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett, Marty was into writing and drawing and dreaming up his own characters.

"Football is just what we did," Bennett said. "In Texas, if you don't play football, you're a weirdo. I always laugh because I tell people: In Texas, there's oil, then football, then God."

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Funny dude, Bennett. He's always quick with a line. Asked what it would take to "slay" the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl, as one of his imaginary characters would slay a dragon, Bennett jokingly said the raccoon is the natural prey for falcons.

What about for patriots?

"Red coats," he said without skipping a beat.

Asked to describe Belichick, Bennett said:

"I think Bill's a pretty cool dude. Very intelligent. It's always fun to be around intelligent people, although I do like my dumb friends. They're always good to hang out with every once in a while. They get into s--- you don't get into with your intelligent friends. They're too smart to do it."

Life is good for Bennett, who could land a new contract from the Patriots. He played well in the regular season (55 catches, 701 yards, seven touchdowns) and has demonstrated toughness by playing on an injured ankle that may require surgery.

He might be hurting, but he never takes himself too seriously. At the end of an interview session, he reached into his locker and pulled out a leather-bound notebook, the size and thickness of a diary -- a Christmas gift. He carries it with him, jotting down ideas for stories and characters. It's a peek into Marty World.

"I like it because I feel like the Indiana Jones of creativity," he said, invoking the name of a famous movie character known for his leather satchel.

Big tight end, big personality.

The size of Texas.