Why'd it take so long for Martellus Bennett to become so popular?

The secret is out. Martellus Bennett is as cool as they come.

Out-of-the-box ideas. Tough-nosed play. Humorous quotes. No fear of judgement. No entitlement. Fun-loving attitude.

All of these factors have made the Green Bay Packers tight end one of the most popular NFL players in the past year. But why this year? Why did it take so long for the league to start appreciating the Martysaurus Rex?

Bennett is 30 years old and is entering his 10th NFL season on his fifth team. He's had his fair share of the spotlight, but for some reason, he was just another good football player to most fans until 2016.

Like most tight ends, the impact of Bennett's on-field play has its limits when it comes to his popularity. His 90-catch, 916-yard season with the Chicago Bears in 2014 is about the best statistical season you can ask for from a tight end, but the campaign did little to put Bennett on the map. His numbers over nine years have been solid, but not enough to make him the main focus of Super Media day.

So if his on-field production isn't what's behind Bennett's name recognition increase, it must be his personality that's grown his fan base.

However, that still doesn't explain why 2016 was the Year of Marty.

His personality was on display from Day 1 of his NFL career as his first training camp was infiltrated by HBO's "Hard Knocks," which focused on him as the Cowboys second-round pick attempting to replace Jason Witten. While the show may have spun Bennett's personality as one that needed work to fit in the NFL, it's that same style of alternative thinking that others have praised almost a decade later.

Bennett never worked his way out from under Witten's shadow, which stifled media attention in Dallas and led him to join the Giants after his rookie contract. He made a hell of an introduction to the Big Apple, unveiling his new nickname - "The Black Unicorn" - and revealing that he felt more comfortable as himself in New York rather than trying to be who the Cowboys wanted him to be.

When Bennett signed with the Bears in 2013, his creative side really started to take over. Maybe fans weren't ready for it, or maybe Bennett could have done a better job of promoting his creativity, but if you were looking for a change of pace as your favorite player, he was certainly giving you an opportunity.

Bennett showed his love for music when he dropped "Cap N Crunch Rap" in 2013 and released two albums in 2014 - a re-release of an album he made with his brother Reshaud titled "Fast Food" and his own mixtape "Year of the Orange Dinosaur" on Soundcloud (it's since been deleted).

Related: Martellus Bennett releases EP with friends

On top of his musical feats, Bennett teamed up with then-popular rapper Asher Roth and ESPN personality Cari Champion to make his first film, an animated short called "Zoovie" in 2015.

Bennett's creativity and uniqueness has never stopped, and in 2016 he founded his own production company, The Imagination Agency.

The Imagination Agency has become well known as Bennett's creations - which include a children's book, a line of kids shoes, an app, and many more Marty-esque products - landed him on Forbes' 30 under 30 list in 2016 and 2017. He also performed his own TedTalk, "More Than An Athlete," which was released days before his trade to the Patriots.

Since joining the Patriots on March 16, 2016, Bennett saw his popularity inch higher and higher. He went from a good complementary piece for Gronkowski to a news-making lightning rod before he even hit the field with his new team, including:

• March 22: Bills' Ryan: 'It's scary' to see Patriots with Gronkowski, Bennett
• May 25: Martellus Bennett announces children's book with Instagram puzzle
• June 19: Martellus Bennett shares hilarious childhood fight story
• July 29: Bennett compares working with 2 QBs to dating 2 women
• August 3: Bennett brothers roast NFL QBs

By now, you're well aware of Bennett's unpredictable style (if you're still not, just go scroll through his Twitter page). Bennett's new Packers jersey will certainly be one of the hottest on the market this season, and rightfully so.

The 6-foot-6 pass catcher has gone out of his way to show the nation that a football player is more than a set of shoulder pads and some numbers. But, he's honestly been doing this for about a decade. So the question remains, why did it take so long for people to figure out how cool the Martysaurus Rex is?