Cedric Benson facts for kids
Benson with the Bengals in 2011
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | December 28, 1982 Midland, Texas, U.S. |
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| Died: | August 17, 2019 (aged 36) Austin, Texas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 227 lb (103 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Lee (Midland, Texas) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Texas (2001–2004) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2005 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Cedric Myron Benson (December 28, 1982 – August 17, 2019) was an American professional football player. He was a talented running back in the National Football League (NFL). Benson played college football for the Texas Longhorns. He was recognized as a top player, earning the title of consensus All-American. The Chicago Bears chose him as the fourth overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. He also played for the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers.
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Early Life and High School Football
Cedric Benson started showing his amazing football skills in junior high school. He attended Robert E. Lee High School in Midland, Texas. By the end of his high school career, he had rushed for 8,423 yards. This was the most in Texas 5A history at the time.
Benson led his team to win three State Championships in a row. He scored a total of 15 touchdowns in those championship games. In his junior year, he rushed for over 3,500 yards and 51 touchdowns. That year, his team was undefeated and won the State and National Championship. Benson was also a center fielder on the baseball team.
College Football Career
Benson went to the University of Texas at Austin. He was a four-year starter for the Longhorns football team. In 2004, his senior year, he won the Doak Walker Award. This award goes to the best running back in the country. He was also named a consensus All-American.
Cedric finished his college career with 5,540 rushing yards. This placed him among the top ten all-time in NCAA Division I-A history. Only Ricky Williams had more rushing yards in Longhorns team history. People often compared Benson to Williams because of their similar running styles.
While at the University of Texas, Benson studied social work and sociology. He also earned a spot on the Texas' Athletics Director's Academic Honor Roll. He was also on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll in 2003.
College Statistics
| 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 | 49 | 1,112 | 5,540 | 5.0 | 64 | 69 | 621 | 3 | |
Professional Football Career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Bench press | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 10+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 from NFL Combine/Pro Day | ||||||||||||
Chicago Bears Years
The Chicago Bears chose Benson as the fourth overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. He signed a five-year contract worth $35 million. The Bears wanted Benson to be their main running back. However, he missed the team's entire training camp due to contract talks.
For the start of the 2005 season, Thomas Jones became the main running back. Benson played sometimes and had his best game against the New Orleans Saints. He rushed for eighty yards on sixteen carries. Soon after, he hurt his knee and missed most of the season.
In 2006, Benson scored his first two touchdowns against the Buffalo Bills. In a game against the New England Patriots, Benson collided with linebacker Junior Seau, who fractured his forearm. Benson started to get more carries as the season went on. He rushed for over 100 yards against the Green Bay Packers.
Benson became the Bears' second running back during the playoffs. In the 2006 NFC Championship game, Benson scored a touchdown and gained 60 yards. In Super Bowl XLI, Benson got a knee injury in the first half and missed the rest of the game.
In 2007, Benson became the Bears' starting running back. This happened after the team traded Jones. Benson had some ups and downs. In one of his best games, he rushed for eighty-nine yards and scored a touchdown. He later hurt his ankle, ending his season. Benson had rushed for 647 yards and four touchdowns that year. The Bears released Benson on June 9, 2008.
Cincinnati Bengals Years
Cedric Benson signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals on September 30, 2008. He became the starting running back for the Bengals in Week 7. In a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Benson carried the ball 24 times for 104 yards and a touchdown. He had a great end to the 2008 season. He gained 161 yards against the Washington Redskins and 171 yards against the Cleveland Browns. In his twelve games with the Bengals in 2008, Benson had 932 total yards.
After the 2008 season, Benson signed a two-year contract with the Bengals. In Week 5 of the 2009 season, he became the first player to rush for over 100 yards against the Baltimore Ravens in 40 games. He rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown. In Week 7, Benson played against his old team, the Chicago Bears. He rushed for a career-high 189 yards and a touchdown.
Benson had his first season with over 1,000 rushing yards in 2009. He set a Bengals team record with six games where he rushed for over 100 yards. He finished the season as the NFL's 8th leading rusher with 1,251 yards. He also set a Bengals postseason record with 169 rushing yards in a game against the New York Jets. The Bengals decided not to re-sign Benson in 2012.
Green Bay Packers Years
On August 12, 2012, Benson signed a one-year contract with the Green Bay Packers. On October 7, 2012, Benson suffered a foot injury called a Lisfranc injury. This injury ended his season, and he was placed on injured reserve.
Professional Baseball Career
Cedric Benson was also a talented baseball player. The Los Angeles Dodgers drafted him in the 12th round of the 2001 MLB Draft. While he didn't play in the major leagues, he played for the Dodgers' summer league team in Vero Beach. He also played for the Gulf Coast League Dodgers. In 25 times at bat, he had 5 hits, 1 run, 3 doubles, 2 triples, and 2 RBIs.
NFL Career Statistics
| 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 | 96 | 1,600 | 6,017 | 3.8 | 46 | 32 | 293 | 120 | 162 | 833 | 6.9 | 79 | 1 | 34 | 20 | 11 | |
Personal Life
Cedric Benson's cousin, Aaron, also played football for the University of Texas. He was a linebacker from 2010 to 2013. Benson had celiac disease, which is an immune reaction to eating gluten. He said that eating a gluten-free diet gave him more energy. After his NFL career, Benson worked as a loan originator.
Death and Legacy
Cedric Benson passed away on August 17, 2019, in Austin, Texas. He was involved in a motorcycle accident. Two years after his death, Benson’s family and the Austin Independent School District started a mentorship program in his honor. This program is at Gus Garcia Young Men’s Leadership Academy.
See also
- List of NCAA Division I FBS running backs with at least 50 career rushing touchdowns
- List of NCAA major college football yearly scoring leaders
- List of Texas Longhorns football All-Americans
- List of Chicago Bears first-round draft picks
- List of people diagnosed with coeliac disease
