Cedric Benson

Cedric Benson was an American professional football running back who spent eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He spent 2 seasons with the Chicago Bears, 3 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, and a short stint with the Green Bay Packers.

Player Profile, High School, and College Career

Cedric Myron Benson was born on December 28, 1982, in Midland, Texas, United States, and tragically passed away on August 17, 2019, at the age of 36. The running back stood 180 cm tall, and his playing weight was listed at 103 kg.

He attended Robert E. Lee High School in Midland, Texas, where he put together one of the greatest high school football careers in state history. Benson rushed for a staggering 8,423 yards and 127 touchdowns, leading his team to three consecutive 5A state championships.

Matriculating at the University of Texas at Austin, Benson became an absolute icon for the Longhorns from 2001 to 2004 under head coach Mack Brown. He became the first and only player in program history to rush for over 1,000 yards in four consecutive seasons.

He finished his college career with 5,540 rushing yards (ranking tenth in NCAA history) and 64 touchdowns, culminating in a consensus First-team All-American selection and winning the prestigious 2004 Doak Walker Award as the nation's premier running back.

Professional Career

Benson was selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round (4th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft.

His tenure in Chicago began with a lengthy rookie training camp holdout, which slowed his initial development. Despite sharing carries with Thomas Jones, Benson provided key ground support during the Bears' 2006 campaign, helping the team reach Super Bowl XLI.

However, a combination of untimely injuries—including a knee injury suffered during the Super Bowl itself—and off-field friction led to his release from the Bears in June 2008.

Benson completely revitalized his career after signing with the Cincinnati Bengals in September 2008. In Cincinnati, he truly embraced the role of an offensive focal point.

He produced three consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons from 2009 to 2011, highlighted by a spectacular 2009 campaign where he racked up a career-high 1,251 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Bengals to an AFC North division title.

He spent his final professional season in 2012 with the Green Bay Packers.

Off the Field

Off the field, Benson was an incredibly multi-talented athlete; he was an exceptional baseball player out of high school and was drafted in the 12th round of the 2001 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, briefly playing nine games in their minor league system as an outfielder before dedicating his life entirely to football.

He tragically died on August 17, 2019, in a motorcycle accident. He was 36 years old.

Career Highlights

• 2004 – Doak Walker Award winner
• 2004 – Consensus First-team All-American
• 2003, 2004 – 2× First-team All-Big 12
• 2001 – Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year
• 2009–2011 – 3× Consecutive 1,000-Yard Rushing Seasons (Bengals)