 Benson with theCincinnati Bengals in2011 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 32 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Running back | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1982-12-28)December 28, 1982 Midland, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Died | August 17, 2019(2019-08-17) (aged 36) Austin, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 227 lb (103 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Lee (Midland) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Texas (2001–2004) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2005: 1st round, 4th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Cedric Myron Benson (December 28, 1982 – August 17, 2019) was an American professionalfootball player who spent eight years as arunning back in theNational Football League (NFL) for theChicago Bears,Cincinnati Bengals andGreen Bay Packers. He playedcollege football for theTexas Longhorns and won theDoak Walker Award in 2004. He was selected by Chicago with the fourth overall pick in the2005 NFL draft.
Benson began to emerge as a football stand-out in the eighth grade while attending Abell Junior High School inMidland, Texas. Benson attendedRobert E. Lee High School in Midland and finished his high-school playing career with 8,423 rushing yards (the most in Texas 5A history, largest classification at the time and the fourth-most in Texashigh school football history).[1] He led his team to three consecutive state championships and rushed for a total of 15 touchdowns in the three championship games. Benson rushed for more than 1,900 yards in only nine games. He rushed for over 3,500 yards (51 touchdowns) during his junior year, when his team went undefeated and won state and national championships. He became the first high-school player to appear on the cover of theDave Campbell's Texas Football annual magazine. Benson was also acenter fielder on thebaseball team. As a senior, in District 4-5A games, he hit .361 with fourhome runs and 14RBIs.
Benson attended theUniversity of Texas at Austin, where he was a four-year starter for theLonghorns football team. As a senior in 2004, he won theDoak Walker Award as the nation's top running back and was recognized as a first-teamAll-American. He finished his college career with 5,540 rushing yards to rank tenth all-time inNCAADivision I-A history, and second only toRicky Williams in Longhorns team history.
He was often compared to Williams because of similarities in running style, college choice suspensions,[2][3] appearance (roughly the same size and build in college, and both withdreadlocks early in their careers) and the fact that they had both been minor-league baseball players.
While at Texas, Benson majored insocial work andsociology. He was included on the Texas athletics directors' academic honor roll and theBig 12 commissioner's honor roll in Fall 2003. While in college, Benson was arrested twice, once for possession of marijuana and the other fortrespassing. The marijuana case was dropped after a friend claimed responsibility. Benson was sentenced to eight days in jail for the trespassing conviction, but he spent no time in prison because of overcrowding at theTravis County Jail. He was forced to serve a one-half game suspension againstBaylor University.[4]
| Season | Team | GP | Rushing | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | TD | |||
| 2001 | Texas | 12 | 223 | 1,053 | 4.7 | 12 | 17 | 203 | 1 |
| 2002 | Texas | 13 | 305 | 1,293 | 4.2 | 12 | 21 | 119 | 0 |
| 2003 | Texas | 12 | 258 | 1,360 | 5.3 | 21 | 9 | 120 | 1 |
| 2004 | Texas | 12 | 326 | 1,834 | 5.6 | 19 | 22 | 179 | 1 |
| Totals[5] | 49 | 1,112 | 5,540 | 5.0 | 64 | 69 | 621 | 3 | |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Bench press | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft10+1⁄2 in (1.79 m) | 222 lb (101 kg) | 31+3⁄4 in (0.81 m) | 9 in (0.23 m) | 4.62 s | 1.60 s | 2.67 s | 4.30 s | 7.50 s | 33.0 in (0.84 m) | 21 reps | ||
| All values fromNFL Combine/Pro Day[6][7] | ||||||||||||
TheChicago Bears selected Benson in the first round with the fourth overall pick in the2005 NFL draft.[8][9] Although Benson and his family were overjoyed when he was drafted, with Benson moved to tears,[10] he and the Bears strongly disagreed on contract terms prior to the draft.[9] After a 36-day contract holdout, Benson and the Bears finally agreed to a five-year contract worth $35 million, with a $16 million signing bonus.[9] The Bears wished to make Benson their feature running back, but his lengthy contract impasse had caused him to miss the team's entire training camp.[11] Benson claimed that he received a cold reception upon his return because he bragged that he would become the starter by the Bears' third game despite the holdout and lack of practice.[12]Jay Glazer reported that certain players attempted to intentionally injure him during practice.[13]
The team temporarily madeThomas Jones their featured running back for the beginning of the2005 season.[11] Jones' performance impressed the Bears' coaching staff and earned him the top spot on the team's depth chart for the next two seasons. Benson occasionally received playing time, and he rushed for 80 yards on 16 carries against theNew Orleans Saints in his best game. However, shortly after the game, he suffered amedial collateral ligament sprain and missed most of the remaining season.[14]
After 2005, the Bears considered making Benson the team's starting running back after Jones was unhappy with his contract status. The team's plans went astray when Benson injured hisshoulder after colliding withBrian Urlacher during a routinescrimmage. Although the injury was not serious, it placed Benson on the sidelines for a majority of the preseason.
Although Benson fully recovered from his injury, head coachLovie Smith selected Jones as the Bears' starter. Benson scored his first two touchdowns during week five of the2006 season, against theBuffalo Bills. In a game against theNew England Patriots during Week 12, Benson collided with linebackerJunior Seau, causing Seau to fracture his forearm.
Days later, Benson challenged Smith's coaching by remarking that "the NFL is not like high school or college, but the best players don't always get on the field."[15] The following week, Benson outgained Jones and scored a vital touchdown against theMinnesota Vikings. He began to receive more carries as the season progressed and rushed for more than 100 yards against theGreen Bay Packers.
Benson became the Bears' secondary running back again during theplayoffs. In the2006 NFC Championship Game against the New Orleans Saints, Benson scored a fourth-quarter touchdown and totaled 60 yards. Although he was given a majority of the team's carries, Jones amassed two touchdowns and 123 rushing yards.[16] In the team's following game,Super Bowl XLI, Benson sustained a knee injury in the first half and missed the remainder of the game.
Smith named Benson as the Bears' starting running back after the team traded Jones to theNew York Jets. Benson struggled throughout thepreseason but retained his starting position.[17] He amassed only 42 yards in his first regular-season game and committed a costly turnover. However, Benson rebounded with a 101-yard performance during his next start. After several inconsistent games, Benson began to stabilize after the bye week. In one of his best games of the season, Benson rushed for 89 yards and scored one touchdown on 11 attempts. He averaged 5.8 yards in his next game but sustained a season-endingankle injury.[18] Benson, who had amassed 647 yards and four touchdowns, was eventually relieved byAdrian N. Peterson.[18]
Bearsgeneral managerJerry Angelo had expressed interest in acquiring a new back to revitalize the Bears' running game, which finished last in yards in the league.[18] Upon hearing the news, Benson commented, "You all know the competition that goes on around here. It doesn't matter to me. Maybe somebody else can get some criticism."[18] On June 9, 2008, Benson was released by the Bears following his second alcohol-related arrest in five weeks.[19]
In October 2009, Benson confirmed that shortly before he was released by the Bears, he had been diagnosed withceliac disease.[20]
In September 2016, Benson stated that "no year in Chicago was I happy.".[21]
Shortly after the grand jury failed to indict him on both incidents in Austin, Benson signed a one-year, $520,000 contract with theCincinnati Bengals on September 30, 2008.DeDe Dorsey was placed oninjured reserve andChris Perry was the starter. Benson's season began in a loss to theDallas Cowboys, rushing 10 times for 30 yards. He became the starting back for the Bengals in Week 7 against thePittsburgh Steelers.[22] Benson rushed 14 times for 52 yards in his first career start as a Bengal. In the following 35–6 loss to theHouston Texans, he totaled 49 yards on 13 carries and had two receptions for 20 yards. The Bengals picked up their first victory of the season in a 21–19 game against theJacksonville Jaguars, with Benson carrying 24 times for 104 yards and a touchdown. Benson hit his stride in the Bengals' three-game winning streak at the end of the season, gashing theWashington Redskins in week 15 with 161 yards from scrimmage, including 88 yards receiving (79 of which came on a screen pass). In week 16, Benson dominated theCleveland Browns, rushing for 171 yards. In the final game of the season against theKansas City Chiefs, Benson had 111 yards on 25 carries. In the twelve games he was active during the 2008 season, Benson had 932 yards from scrimmage: 747 rushing and 185 receiving.
Afree agent after the 2008 season, Benson visited with theHouston Texans before signing a two-year, $7-million contract with the Bengals on March 3, 2009.
Entering Week 8 of the 2009 season, Benson had 164 carries for an NFL-best 720 yards (4.4 per carry average). In Week 5, he became the first 100-yard rusher against theBaltimore Ravens in 40 games when he rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown.[23] In Week 7, Benson faced his former team, the Chicago Bears, and rushed for a career-high 189 yards and a touchdown.[24]
Benson recorded his first 1,000-yard rushing season and set a Bengals franchise record with six games with more than 100 rushing yards. He finished the season as the NFL's eighth-leading rusher with 1,251 yards despite playing only 13 games. He then set a Bengals postseason record with 169 rushing yards in a 24–14 loss to theNew York Jets.
The Bengals declined to resign Benson in 2012. CoachMarvin Lewis later recounted how he explained the decision to Benson: "'Ced, it's not that I didn't think you could do that on the football field, it was the other [stuff] that I got tired of. When I would go to you and say we're going to rotate the backs [and Benson would take it poorly]. I don't need that anymore.'"[25]
On August 12, 2012, Benson signed with theGreen Bay Packers.[26] The deal was reportedly a one-year contract worth $825,000.
On October 7, 2012, Benson suffered aLisfranc injury to his foot and was later placed on injured reserve.
Benson was drafted by theLos Angeles Dodgers in the 12th round (370th overall) of the2001 MLB Draft. While Benson did not play in the major leagues, he spent his time with the Dodgers' summer league team inVero Beach, Florida. He also played with theGulf Coast League Dodgers. In 25 at-bats, he had five hits, one run, three doubles, two triples and two RBI.[27]
| Year | Team | GP | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FD | Rec | Tgt | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FD | Fum | Lost | |||
| 2005 | CHI | 9 | 67 | 272 | 4.1 | 36 | 0 | 12 | 1 | — | 3 | 3.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2006 | CHI | 15 | 157 | 647 | 4.1 | 30 | 6 | 33 | 8 | 10 | 54 | 6.8 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | CHI | 11 | 196 | 674 | 3.4 | 43 | 4 | 33 | 17 | 27 | 123 | 7.2 | 19 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 2008 | CIN | 12 | 214 | 747 | 3.5 | 46 | 2 | 36 | 20 | 26 | 185 | 9.3 | 79 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| 2009 | CIN | 13 | 301 | 1,251 | 4.2 | 42 | 6 | 57 | 17 | 24 | 111 | 6.5 | 19 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 2010 | CIN | 16 | 321 | 1,111 | 3.5 | 26 | 7 | 59 | 28 | 38 | 178 | 6.4 | 24 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 5 |
| 2011 | CIN | 15 | 273 | 1,067 | 3.9 | 42 | 6 | 53 | 15 | 22 | 82 | 5.5 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| 2012 | GB | 5 | 71 | 248 | 3.5 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 97 | 6.9 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Career[28] | 96 | 1,600 | 6,017 | 3.8 | 46 | 32 | 293 | 120 | 162 | 833 | 6.9 | 79 | 1 | 34 | 20 | 11 | |
Benson's cousin Aaron played linebacker for the University of Texas from 2010 to 2013, but abandoned the sport in his redshirt senior year.[29]
Benson hadceliac disease and attributed his adoption of agluten-free diet to giving him more energy.[30]
After his NFL career, Benson became aloan originator.[31]
Before the start of the2008 season, Benson was arrested for allegedly operating a boat whileintoxicated and resisting arrest.[32] On May 3, 2008, the incident occurred near Austin, Texas by theLower Colorado River Authority during a late-night safety inspection.[32] The official police report cited that Benson had failed afield sobriety test and became hostile toward the police.[32] The officers arrested Benson and employedpepper spray when he forcefully resisted arrest.[33] Benson was later detained for the night and was charged withboating while intoxicated andresisting arrest.[33]
Benson later refuted the charges against him and stated that he had requested to take a follow-up field sobriety test on land after failing the initial one.[33] Benson had further accused the officers of abusing him, stating, "I'm not handcuffed. I'm not under arrest. I'm not threatening him. I'm not pushing him. I'm not touching him. And he sprays me right in the eye."[33] He also asserted that officers continuously struck his ankles and feet to prevent him from walking properly.[34] A female passenger on Benson's boat also claimed to have witnessed the abuse.[35] Upon hearing about the incident, Bears head coachLovie Smith stated, "I haven't had a chance to speak with Cedric yet, but anytime we're talking about one of our players getting arrested, you're disappointed in it" and added "What we're going to do from here, I'll go back and try to get as much information as I possibly can and go from there."[36]
Benson was arrested fordriving while intoxicated in Austin, Texas on June 7, 2008. While returning from a restaurant with his girlfriend, police claimed that Benson drove through ared light and failed afield sobriety test.[37] Police claimed that he later refused to take abreath orblood test to determine hisblood alcohol level.[37] Police detained Benson, who was later released on bond. Benson denied the police officers' allegations and insisted that he "aced" the field test.[38] Bearsgeneral managerJerry Angelo commented, "It's unfortunate. Disappointment is too much an often used word when we're talking about Cedric. The No. 1 lesson for every player is protect your job. We're all held accountable for our actions. I'm not going to say any more than that until we know for sure what the facts are."[39] On the following Monday, Benson was waived from the Bears. Angelo commented on the release, stating "Cedric displayed a pattern of behavior we will not tolerate... As I said this past weekend, you have to protect your job. Everyone in this organization is held accountable for their actions."[40]
Benson was later ordered by a county judge to install anignition interlock breathalyzer in his car. He was also instructed to attend drug counseling classes.[41] Benson was cleared of all charges in September after appearing before two grand juries inTravis County.[42]
On June 29, 2010, Benson was arrested for assault with injury after reportedly punching a bartender in the face.[43] Benson denied culpability and nearly one month later the NFL announced that he would not be suspended.[44]
On July 17, 2011, Benson was arrested in Austin for a misdemeanor charge of assault causing bodily injury to a family member.[45] He was sentenced to 20 days in jail and ordered to pay a $4,000 fine.[46] Benson was released from jail on September 3 after only five days of his sentence.[47] He received a one-game suspension, enacted in Week 8.
On February 18, 2017, Benson was charged with driving while intoxicated in downtown Austin.[48] According to court documents, Benson refused to submit to a field sobriety test and could not recite the alphabet from G to Z nor count past the number 3. Benson was released on the same day after posting bond.
On August 17, 2019, Benson and female passenger Aamna Najam were killed when his motorcycle collided with a minivan onRM 2222 inAustin, Texas. Benson and Najam were pronounced dead at the scene, but the two occupants of the minivan were not seriously injured.[49]
On the second anniversary of Benson's death, his family and the Austin school district launched a mentorship program in his honor at Gus Garcia Young Men's Leadership Academy.[50]
