National Football League

Daily Buzz: Russell Wilson's popularity even benefits his teammates

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 6:57 p.m. ET

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Sam Gardner

There aren't too many people more popular than Russell Wilson in Seattle these days with the Seahawks at an NFL-best 11-1 after a Monday night win over New Orleans.

In fact, "Russellmania" has reached such a fever pitch that even the Seahawks quarterback's teammates are using his popularity for their own benefit.

Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett appeared on ESPN 710 in Seattle on Wednesday and shared a story of how he used Wilson's name to get himself a table at a booked restaurant.

"Let me tell you what I did yesterday," Bennett told the hosts at the end of a 12-minute segment (you can listen here if you'd like). "I called this restaurant and (the hostess) said, 'There's no tables available,' so I was like, 'Oh, man, OK.'€™

"So I called back," Bennett continued, changing his voice to sound more like Wilson's (but still not especially similar). "And I said 'Hey this is Russell Wilson. I'll be attending your restaurant today at about 3:30, do you have any tables?' And she said, 'Yes, we can make a table for you — you were 22-for-30 the other night, 130 quarterback rating.' She knew every stat."€

Now, it's one thing for Bennett to pass for Wilson over the phone, but it's another thing altogether for Bennett to get away with it in person. Could a hostess who's a fan really confuse these two?

Seattle defensive lineman Michael Bennett and Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson

But Bennett still got away with his scam, even after he was found out. I guess returning a fumble for a touchdown against the Saints is good for something, after all.

"So I got to the restaurant, and it was me, my wife and my kids and I said, 'Oh, thank you, I'm Russell Wilson,'" Bennett said. "She took me to the table, they had it roped off, they had sparkling water, everything.

"She was like, 'Good joke,'" he added. "I said, 'Gotcha!'"€

Now, for some links:

•Will Smith is now a Milwaukee Brewer — but not that Will Smith.

•Meet the 90-year-old hockey player who still hangs with the young(ish) guys.

•Softball coach calls mound visit, draws up play to intentionally hit the umpire, game gets called:

•Is this Larry Sanders in a bar fight? Milwaukee PD says it is:

•Dwight Howard is slamming the Rockets' effort.

•Meanwhile, Howard's old teammate "Glen Big Baby" Davis says he's the lightest he's been since eighth grade.

•Watch this girl lip sync the Auburn radio call of the final play against Alabama:

•Speaking of the Iron Bowl, I'm guessing Mark Ingram lost a bet:

•You can take Steve Spurrier out of Gainesville, but you can't get him to stop picking on Florida State.

•LeBron James reportedly will star in a basketball comedy alongside Kevin Hart.

•If you sass Kevin Durant, he will sass you right back:

•Trick Shot Titus' latest video includes Channing Tatum and Bradley Cooper, as well as Titus making a shot at a Wichita State game:

•Rob Ford is fine with the Redskins name. Glad that's settled.

•About 75 students staged a walkout after Deion Sanders was fired again from his Prime Prep Academy.

•Something funky is going on with Roy Hibbert's elbow:

•I see what you did there:

•Louisiana Monroe really wants to play in the Advocare V100 Bowl, it seems:

•Two pranksters who recorded a phone call between Buddy Nix and Mark Dominik likely will avoid jail time.

•Michigan State basketball players delivered pizza to fans waiting in the rain before Wednesday's game against North Carolina.

•There sure was a lot of laughter during Thursday's press conference regarding Jameis Winston's potential rape charge:

•...not to mention unprofessional and inappropriate questioning during a media briefing by Winston's lawyer:

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