FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- When the New England Patriots acquired tight end Martellus Bennett last March, it sparked a question of how his outspoken ways and outgoing personality would fit into the team's buttoned-down culture.

Ten months later, with the Patriots preparing for their playoff opener and Bennett having turned in a fine season in which he has gutted through an ankle injury since Week 5, the results are officially in.

"I don't have a word to describe his personality, but I can guarantee that every person in that locker room loves Marty," said linebacker Dont'a Hightower, one of the team's captains. "The emotion and excitement that he brings in here is definitely much needed on a day-to-day basis because working here isn't always the easiest thing or comfortable thing. So having guys in the locker room like that to make you smile and kind of get you through the day really helps."

Hightower's answer was in response to the following questions: How would you describe Bennett's personality? What have you noticed in how he has fit into the team's culture?

At first, Hightower was stumped, as there was a noticeable pause before he answered. It was, almost to a man, the same reaction others had as well.

That highlights the uniqueness of the 29-year-old Bennett.

"His personality is definitely ... what's the right word for it?" linebacker Shea McClellin said, before a long pause as he collected his thoughts. "He's got a different personality but it's fun. He's just always happy, in a good mood, and always cheerful."

A feel for the media crowd around Patriots TE Martellus Bennett. pic.twitter.com/fzFs0xUVYp — Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) January 11, 2017

Unlike many players in the Patriots' locker room, McClellin knew Bennett a bit from their time together as Chicago Bears teammates (2013-2015). Between there, and this year in New England, McClellin described Bennett this way: "He just wants to win."

He's also into the business side of things, as evidenced by the conversation he struck up with fullback James Develin on Wednesday as the two cut tape off their ankles after practice. Bennett asked Develin if he'd consider going to China if he held a football camp there.

Those are the types of conversations Develin has grown used to having based on their proximity to each other.

"Having our lockers next to each other all year has been a really cool experience for me. We have a lot of time here to sit and bounce ideas off each other," Develin relayed, adding that Bennett's first impression was strong.

"From the get-go, he came in here with his hard hat on, his lunch pail, and he just got right to work. So he's fit in tremendously with everyone in the locker room. You see the type of personality he's got -- it's pretty engaging. He's just a fun teammate."

Develin recalled seeing Bennett on HBO's "Hard Knocks" in 2008 when he was a rookie with the Dallas Cowboys, and as he relayed that story Wednesday, Bennett overheard the interview and interjected himself.

"They bamboozled me! I didn't know no better, man!" he said, laughing.

Bennett told a story Wednesday about how his even-keel demeanor on the field might have perplexed Tom Brady and others at times.

"When I first got here, a lot of people thought it was weird because no matter what was going on in the game, I just had the same facial expression throughout the whole time. Sometimes, Tom would be yelling and I'd just look at Tom like, and he'd just be like, 'What is going on with this guy?' I'm just even-keeled throughout the whole game," he said.

But almost always upbeat off of it.

"He's a good guy. You rarely see him negative," defensive tackle Alan Branch said.

Because of that, Bennett's fit in the Patriots' locker room has been widely viewed by teammates as positive.