Michael Bennett doesn't attend the Seahawks' voluntary offseason workouts, and it's not because he doesn't love football (he does) or because he doesn't care about staying in shape.

It's because he and his wife, Pele, have three daughters under the age of 9, and his life outside football is very important to him.

“I like to be a parent,” Bennett told Gregg Bell of the NewsTribune.com. “I’ve got daughters. I’m a coach. I’m a teacher at the school. I do things in the community. I try to balance my football life with my actual reality. So, to find that great balance as a human being. I think it’s important as athletes to find that."

The two-time Pro Bowl defensive end suggests other players should strive for more balance between football and their life beyond the field.

“I think a lot of times athletes have a problem when they retire because they build an identity around sports," Bennett said. "Then when the sport is gone you are lost. So along this way you’ve got to transition yourself to be able to life in civilization. So find different things you can be a part of. Find out who you are.

“That’s why I do what I do. I mean, I train harder than anyone in the NFL. So I’m not worried about being in shape or being the best player I can be. What I am worried about is how good of a parent I can be, and how much better a husband I can be.”

With Father's Day on Sunday, that's a message fathers everywhere can heed.