Arrelious Benn facts for kids

Arrelious Markus Benn (born September 8, 1988) is a former American football player. He played as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers chose him in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft.

Early Life and High School Football

Arrelious Benn grew up in Washington, DC. He went to Dunbar High School. There, he played with future NFL players Vontae Davis and Nate Bussey.

Benn was a very versatile player in high school. He played wide receiver, running back, safety, and linebacker. In his senior year, he was named a First-team High School All-American. That year, he caught 56 passes for 1,039 yards. This made him the first Dunbar player to gain over 1,000 receiving yards. In his junior year, he caught 50 passes for 1,147 yards and 17 touchdowns. After high school, Benn was invited to play in the 2007 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Many colleges wanted Benn to play for them. Rivals.com rated him as a five-star recruit. He was one of the top wide receiver prospects in 2007. Benn decided to play for the University of Illinois. He chose Illinois over schools like Maryland and Notre Dame.

College Football Career

Benn played college football at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He quickly became a star player.

Freshman Year Success (2007)

In his first year, Benn caught 43 passes for 521 yards. If you include the Rose Bowl game, he had 54 catches for 676 yards. This was the most for his team that season. It also set a new school record for a freshman. Benn also ran the ball, gaining 158 yards on 32 carries. He returned 10 kickoffs for 280 yards. One of these was a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Penn State. He was named the 2007 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Sophomore and Junior Seasons (2008-2009)

Benn's performance got even better in his sophomore year. He caught 67 passes for 1,055 yards. This was the most receiving yards in the Big Ten conference. He also scored 3 receiving touchdowns. He helped in the running game too, with 101 yards and 2 rushing touchdowns.

Before his junior year, Benn was named to important watch lists. These included the Walter Camp Player of the Year award and the Biletnikoff Trophy. However, in his junior season, he hurt his right ankle. He played through the injury but his stats were lower. He had 38 catches for 490 yards and two touchdowns. After his junior season, Arrelious Benn decided to enter the 2010 NFL draft.

College Awards and Honors

During his time at Illinois, Benn received many honors:

• 2007 Big Ten Freshman of the Year
• 2007 Freshman All-American
• Maxwell Award Candidate
• Biletnikoff Award Candidate
• Preseason First-team All-Big Ten (multiple times)

Professional Football Career

Arrelious Benn was chosen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft. He was the 39th player picked overall.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2010–2012)

Benn played for the Buccaneers for three seasons. He showed flashes of his talent as a wide receiver.

Philadelphia Eagles (2013)

In 2013, Benn was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. He signed a contract extension with them. However, he tore his ACL (a knee ligament) in August 2013. This injury ended his season before it even began. He was later released by the Eagles.

Jacksonville Jaguars (2015–2017)

Benn signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2015. In 2016, he was released but then re-signed a day later. The first game of that season was his first time on an active NFL roster in three years.

In Week 6 of 2016, he scored a 51-yard touchdown against the Chicago Bears. He caught a simple pass, got up, and ran to the end zone without being touched. This was his first touchdown catch since 2011. The Jaguars re-signed Benn for another year in 2017. However, he was placed on injured reserve again in November 2017 due to a knee injury. In 2018, the Jaguars did not pick up his contract option, making him a free agent.