.JPG) Bennett with the Oakland Raiders in 2010 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 23, 26, 29, 32 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Running back | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1978-08-13)August 13, 1978 (age 47) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 211 lb (96 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Milwaukee Trade and Technical | ||||||||||||||
| College | Wisconsin (1998–2000) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2001: 1st round, 27th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Michael A. Bennett (born August 13, 1978) is an American former professionalfootball player who was arunning back in theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theWisconsin Badgers. He was selected by theMinnesota Vikings in the first round of the2001 NFL draft with the 27th overall pick. APro Bowl selection with the Vikings in2002, Bennett was also a member of theNew Orleans Saints,Kansas City Chiefs,Tampa Bay Buccaneers,San Diego Chargers, andOakland Raiders.
Bennett attendedMilwaukee Trade and Technical High School. As a senior, he was ranked the topfootball player in the state, and was an All-State selection.
Bennett attended theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison and was a standout infootball and in track as asprinter. He spent two years as a backup toRon Dayne, but, as a junior, Bennett rushed for 1,592 yards and scored ten touchdowns, despite missing two games due to injury.
As a junior at the 1997 statetrack meet, Bennett set records in the100 meter and200 meter dashes, then broke both records as a senior in 1998. Both his 100m time of 10.33 seconds and 200m time of 20.68 seconds still stand as state records as of 2024.[1]
| Event | Time (seconds) | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 meters | 6.67 | Fayetteville, Arkansas | May 10, 2000 |
| 100 meters | 10.00 (wind-aided)[2] | Austin, Texas | May 6, 2000 |
| 200 meters | 20.66 | Tempe, Arizona | May 18, 2000 |
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 207 lb (94 kg) | 4.38 s | 1.52 s | 2.54 s | 4.21 s | 6.84 s | 39.5 in (1.00 m) | 10 ft 10 in (3.30 m) | 13 reps | |||
| All values from WisconsinPro Day.[3] | ||||||||||||
Bennett was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round (27th overall) of the2001 NFL draft.[4] As arookie in2001, he was thrust into astarting role after the sudden retirement of star running backRobert Smith. In2002, Bennett rushed for 1,296 yards and added 351 yards receiving on his way to thePro Bowl. However, his career stalled due to injuries the following year.
The Vikings released Bennett at the conclusion of the2005 NFL season.
Bennett was signed by theNew Orleans Saints to serve as the backup toDeuce McAllister. After the addition ofReggie Bush in the2006 NFL draft, Bennett became expendable and was traded to theKansas City Chiefs for a fourth rounddraft choice.
Bennett spent the 2006 season and part of the 2007 season with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played in 17 games for the Chiefs in all, carrying the ball 56 times for 252 yards and no touchdowns. He was traded to theTampa Bay Buccaneers just over a month in the 2007 season.
On October 16, 2007, the Buccaneers acquired Bennett from the Chiefs after injuries torunning backsCarnell Williams andMichael Pittman. His first touchdown as a Buccaneer came in Week 8 of the 2007 season against theJacksonville Jaguars off a 19-yard swing pass run.
On February 15, 2008, Bennett re-signed with the Buccaneers in lieu of becoming an unrestricted free agent. Bennett was released on November 11 whenCarnell Williams was activated from the PUP list.
Bennett was claimed off waivers by theSan Diego Chargers on November 12, 2008. The team releasedlinebackerDerek Smith to make room for him on the roster.[5] He was released on March 4, 2010. During the 2009 season with San Diego, Bennett played in six games, rushing 23 times for 65 yards, and catching six passes for 65 yards.[6]
Bennett signed with theOakland Raiders on May 6, 2010. He was released on September 5, 2011. During the 2010 season with Oakland, he gained 11 yards rushing and nine yards receiving while playing in seven games.[6]
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 2001 | MIN | 13 | 13 | 172 | 682 | 4.0 | 31 | 2 | 29 | 226 | 7.8 | 80 | 1 |
| 2002 | MIN | 16 | 16 | 255 | 1,296 | 5.1 | 85 | 5 | 37 | 351 | 9.5 | 45 | 1 |
| 2003 | MIN | 8 | 7 | 90 | 447 | 5.0 | 28 | 1 | 12 | 132 | 11.0 | 40 | 0 |
| 2004 | MIN | 11 | 7 | 70 | 276 | 3.9 | 25 | 1 | 21 | 207 | 9.9 | 38 | 1 |
| 2005 | MIN | 16 | 6 | 126 | 473 | 3.8 | 61 | 3 | 27 | 124 | 4.6 | 20 | 2 |
| 2006 | KC | 11 | 0 | 36 | 200 | 5.6 | 41 | 0 | 9 | 77 | 8.6 | 14 | 0 |
| 2007 | KC | 6 | 0 | 20 | 52 | 2.6 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 47 | 4.7 | 9 | 0 |
| TB | 8 | 1 | 41 | 189 | 4.6 | 28 | 1 | 5 | 54 | 10.8 | 23 | 1 | |
| 2008 | TB | 5 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 1.7 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 |
| SD | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2009 | SD | 6 | 0 | 23 | 65 | 2.8 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 65 | 10.8 | 33 | 0 |
| 2010 | OAK | 7 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | 6 | 0 |
| Career[7] | 109 | 50 | 842 | 3,703 | 4.4 | 85 | 13 | 159 | 1,294 | 8.1 | 80 | 6 | |