Earl Bennett facts for kids
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Bennett in 2011
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| Vanderbilt Commodores | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Director of player development | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | March 23, 1987 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 209 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | West End (Birmingham) | ||||||||||
| College: | Vanderbilt (2005–2007) | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2008 / Round: 3 / Pick: 70 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Earl Bryan Bennett (born March 23, 1987) is a former professional football player. He was a wide receiver for the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL). Earl played college football for the Vanderbilt Commodores. The Bears chose him in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft. After his playing days, he became the director of player development at Vanderbilt.
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Earl Bennett's College Football Career
Earl Bennett was a star player at Vanderbilt. He was chosen for the All-SEC team three times. When he left college, he held the record for the most catches in the SEC with 236. Another player, Jordan Matthews, later broke this record. However, Earl is still one of the top players in Vanderbilt's history for receiving.
What Awards Did Earl Bennett Win in College?
Earl Bennett received many awards and honors during his college career. These awards recognized his skill and performance on the field.
- 2005 – First-team All-SEC (Coaches)
- 2005 – Second-team All-SEC (AP)
- 2005 – First-team SEC All Freshman Team
- 2005 – Sporting News Second-team Freshman All American
- 2005 – Scout.com First-team All American
- 2005 – Rivals.com Second-team All American
- 2006 – Rivals.com Third-team All American
- 2006 – First-team All-SEC (AP)
- 2006 – Second-team All-SEC (Coaches)
- 2006 – Rivals.com First-team All-SEC
- 2006 – Scout.com First-team All-SEC
What Records Did Earl Bennett Set?
Earl Bennett set several impressive records during his time in college. These records show how talented he was as a receiver.
- He set the Southeastern Conference record for career catches with 236.
- He had more catches than any other SEC receiver after just two years.
- He set a school record with 223 receiving yards in a game against the Richmond Spiders in 2007.
- He is the first SEC receiver to have 75 or more catches in three different seasons.
Earl Bennett's Professional Football Career
The Chicago Bears picked Earl Bennett in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft. This was the 70th pick overall.
Playing for the Chicago Bears
Earl Bennett played for the Chicago Bears for several seasons. He made many important plays during his time with the team.
2008 NFL Season
In his first year, 2008, Earl Bennett did not catch any passes. He spent most of his rookie season on the sidelines.
2009 NFL Season
In 2009, Earl Bennett's former college teammate, quarterback Jay Cutler, joined the Bears. The Bears' coach, Lovie Smith, gave Bennett a chance to become a starting receiver. Bennett worked hard and showed he could make tough catches. He and Cutler quickly got back their strong connection from college. Bennett also changed his jersey number from 85 to 80.
Bennett was the only Bears receiver to catch a pass in every game that season. He started strong in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers, with seven catches for 66 yards. In Week 3, he had four catches for 80 yards against the Seattle Seahawks. He even returned punts in Week 4 when Devin Hester was injured.
Bennett scored his first career touchdown from Jay Cutler in Week 13 against the St. Louis Rams. He also had a career-long 71-yard catch in that game. In December, he returned a punt 49 yards for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens. He finished the season with 717 yards and two receiving touchdowns. He also had one punt return touchdown.
2010 NFL Season
In 2010, Bennett continued to make an impact. In Week 6, he made a great block that helped Devin Hester score a touchdown on a punt return. Bennett caught his third career receiving touchdown in Week 9 against the Buffalo Bills.
During the NFC Championship game, Bennett caught a 35-yard touchdown pass. This play helped the Bears try to come back in the game.
2011 NFL Season
In 2011, Bennett got injured in Week 2 against the Saints. This injury later became part of a big story about the Saints' "bounty program". Bennett returned in Week 9 and helped the Bears win against the Eagles with a touchdown catch.
He was fined for wearing bright orange cleats during games. The league warned him that wearing them again would lead to bigger fines. In December, Bennett signed a new contract to stay with the Bears until 2014.
2012 NFL Season
In Week 17 of the 2012 season, Bennett had a career-best game against the Lions. He caught five passes for 109 yards and one touchdown. He was the first Bears receiver other than Brandon Marshall to gain over 80 yards in a game that year.
2013 NFL Season
In 2013, Bennett caught 32 passes for 243 yards. He also scored a career-high four touchdowns. He missed the last game of the season due to a personal family matter.
On March 18, 2014, the Bears released Bennett. This happened after he did not agree to a pay cut.
Playing for the Cleveland Browns
On May 14, 2014, Earl Bennett signed with the Cleveland Browns. However, his contract was ended by the Browns just over a month later, on June 17, 2014.
What Does Earl Bennett Do Now?
After his playing career, Earl Bennett returned to his old college, Vanderbilt University. On February 8, 2021, he became the director of player development for the Vanderbilt football team.
Earl Bennett's Personal Life
In 2012, Earl Bennett hosted an event called "The Prime Experience with Earl Bennett." This event helped raise money for his charity, "Earl Bennett's Legends for Literacy." He was also honored at a fundraiser event by CSN.
In 2015, Bennett went back to Vanderbilt University to finish his degree in education. He later earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Houston in 2022.
Earl is married to Rekeshia Bennett. They have a son named Earl Bennett Jr., and two daughters, Skylah and Selah Bennett.
