Cedric Myron Benson (December 28, 1982 – August 17, 2019) was an American professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
player who was a
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. Th ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football in the United States, American football rules first gained populari ...
for the
Texas Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and a ...
and was recognized as a consensus
All-American. He was selected by the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
with the fourth overall pick in the
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also he ...
and also played for the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The club's home ...
and
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
.
Early life
Benson began to emerge as a football stand-out in the eighth grade while attending Abell Junior High School in Midland, Texas, under Coach Chris McKinney. Benson attended
Robert E. Lee High School in
Midland, Texas
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States. A small part of Midland is in Martin County.
At the 2020 census, Midland's population was 132,524. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas metropolitan ...
, and finished his high school playing career with 8,423 rushing yards (the most in Texas 5A history, largest classification at the time, and the fourth most in Texas
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, partl ...
history). He led his team to three consecutive State Championships, and rushed for a total of 15 touchdowns in the three championship games. Benson rushed for more than 1,900 yards in only 9 games. He rushed for over 3,500 yards (51 touchdowns) his junior year in an undefeated State and National Championship season. He was the first high school player ever to make the cover of
Dave Campbell's Texas Football
''Dave Campbell's Texas Football'' is a biannual magazine previewing American football teams in the state of Texas.
It previews football teams in Texas at all levels, from the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans, college football, to the r ...
annual magazine. Benson was also a
center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...
on the
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
team. As a senior, in District 4-5A games, he hit .361 with 4
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s and 14
RBIs
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...
.
College career
Benson attended the
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
, where he was a four-year starter for the
Longhorns football team. As a senior in 2004, he received the
Doak Walker Award
Since 1990 the Doak Walker Award honors the top running back in college football in the United States. It is named in honor of Doak Walker, a former running back who played for the SMU Mustangs from 1945 to 1949 and in the National Football Le ...
as the nation's top running back and was recognized as a consensus
All-American. He finished his college career with 5,540 rushing yards to rank tenth all time in
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
Division I-A
The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). ...
history, and second only to
Ricky Williams
Errick Miron (born Errick Lynne Williams Jr.; May 21, 1977) is an American former football running back who played 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and one season in the Canadian Football League (CFL).
After playing baseball ...
in Longhorns team history.
He has often been compared to Williams, due to their similarities in running style, college choice, legal complications, and superficial appearance (roughly the same size and build coming out of college, and both had
dreadlocks
Dreadlocks, also known as locs or dreads, are rope-like strands of hair formed by locking or braiding hair.
Origins
Some of the earliest depictions of dreadlocks date back as far as 1600–1500 BCE in the Minoan Civilization, one of Europe ...
early in their careers), and the fact that they had both been minor league baseball players.
While attending the
University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
, Benson majored in
social work
Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...
and
sociology
Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation an ...
. During his latter years, he earned membership into the Texas' Athletics Director's Academic Honor Roll, and the
Big 12
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its f ...
Commissioner's Honor Roll in fall of 2003. Also, while in college, Benson was arrested twice, once for possession of marijuana and the other for criminal trespass. The marijuana case was dropped after a friend came forward and claimed ownership. He received 8 days in jail for the trespass conviction although he spent no time in jail other than the day of arrest due to overcrowding in Travis County Jail. He was forced to serve a one-half game suspension against
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of th ...
.
College statistics
Professional football career
Chicago Bears
![Cedric Benson in 2007](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Cedric_Benson_in_2007.jpg)
The
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
selected Benson with the fourth overall pick in the
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also he ...
.
Benson was visibly upset upon being drafted by Chicago, as the two parties disagreed on contract terms prior to the draft.
After a 36-day contract hold-out, Benson and the Bears finally agreed to a five-year contract worth $35 million, with a $16 million signing bonus.
The Bears wished to make Benson their feature running back, but his lengthy contract impasse had caused him to miss the team's entire training camp.
Benson claimed that he received a cold reception upon his return because he claimed he would be starting by the third game despite holding out and not practicing.
Jay Glazer reported that certain players even attempted to intentionally injure him during practice.
The team temporarily made
Thomas Jones their featured running back for the beginning of the
2005 season.
[Eide, Paul]
Bears' starting running back an obvious choice
(September 4, 2006), Real Football 365. Retrieved on August 13, 2007. Jones' performance impressed the Bears' coaching staff, and earned him the top spot on the team's depth-chart for the next two seasons. Benson occasionally received playtime, and he rushed for eighty yards on sixteen carries against the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
during his best game. However, shortly afterwards, he suffered a
medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament (MCL), or tibial collateral ligament (TCL), is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial (inner) side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. Its primary function is to resist outwar ...
sprain and missed most of the remaining season.
After the 2005 the Bears considered making Benson the team's starting running back after Jones was unhappy with his current contract status. The team's plans went astray when Benson injured his
shoulder
The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula (shoulder blade), and the humerus (upper arm bone) as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder mak ...
after colliding with
Brian Urlacher
Brian Urlacher (; born May 25, 1978) is an American former football linebacker who spent his entire 13-season career in the National Football League (NFL) with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the New Mexico Lobos, where h ...
during a routine
scrimmage. Although the injury was not serious, it placed Benson on the sidelines for a majority of the preseason.
Although Benson fully recovered from his injury, head coach
Lovie Smith
Lovie Lee Smith (born May 8, 1958) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). From 2004 to 2016, he served as the head coach of the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a ...
selected Jones as the Bears' starter. Benson scored his first two touchdowns during week five of the
2006 season, against the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division ...
. In a game against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
during week twelve of the season, Benson collided with linebacker
Junior Seau
Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau Jr. (; ; January 19, 1969May 2, 2012) was an American professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL), mostly with the San Diego Chargers. Known for his passionate play, he was a ...
, causing Seau to fall down and fracture his forearm.
Days later, Benson challenged Smith's coaching by remarking, "the NFL is not like high school or college, but the best players don't always get on the field."
The following week, Benson out rushed Jones and scored a vital touchdown against the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
on 4th down. However, when asked about it after the game, he said he didn't know that it was 4th down. He began to receive more carries as the weeks progressed, and managed to rush for over 100 yards against the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
.
Benson became the Bears' secondary running back again during the
playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...
. In the
2006 NFC Championship game
6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number.
In mathematics
Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second smal ...
against the New Orleans Saints, Benson scored a fourth-quarter touchdown and totaled 60 yards. Though he was given a majority of the team's carries, his counterpart, Jones, amassed two touchdowns and 123 rushing yards. In the team's following game,
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League (NFL) champio ...
, Benson sustained a knee injury in the first half, and missed the remainder of the game.
Smith named Benson as the Bears' starting running back after the team traded Jones to the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
. Benson struggled throughout the
preseason
In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of Se ...
, but received enough support from his teammates and coaches to retain his starting position. He amassed only forty-two yards in his first regular season game and committed a costly turnover. However, Benson rebounded with a 101-yard performance during his next start. After several inconsistent games, Benson began to stabilize after the bye week. In one of his best games of the season, Benson rushed for eighty-nine yards and scored one touchdown on eleven attempts. He averaged 5.8 yards in his next game, but sustained a season-ending
ankle
The ankle, or the talocrural region, or the jumping bone (informal) is the area where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle includes three joints: the ankle joint proper or talocrural joint, the subtalar joint, and the inferior tibiofibular joi ...
injury.
[Mayer, Larry]
Benson insists competing for top job won't faze him
(January 8, 2008), chicagobears.com. Retrieved on January 26, 2008. Benson, who had amassed 647 yards and four touchdowns, was eventually relieved by
Adrian N. Peterson.
Jerry Angelo
Jerry Angelo (born c. 1949) is a former American football executive who was the general manager for the National Football League's Chicago Bears from 2001 to 2011. Prior to joining the Bears, Angelo spent 14 years overseeing Tampa Bay Buccaneers' ...
, the Bears'
general manager
A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
, had expressed interest in acquiring a new running back to revitalize the Bears' running game, which finished last in yards in the league.
Upon hearing the news, Benson commented, “You all know the competition that goes on around here. It doesn’t matter to me. Maybe somebody else can get some criticism.”
On June 9, 2008, Benson was released by the Bears following his second alcohol-related arrest in five weeks.
In October 2009, Benson confirmed that shortly before he was released by the Bears, he had been diagnosed with
Celiac disease
Coeliac disease (British English) or celiac disease (American English) is a long-term autoimmune disorder, primarily affecting the small intestine, where individuals develop intolerance to gluten, present in foods such as wheat, rye and barle ...
.
![Cedric Benson rush](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Cedric_Benson_rush.jpg)
In September 2016, Benson stated that "no year in Chicago was I happy.".
Cincinnati Bengals
Shortly after the grand jury failed to indict him on both incidents in Austin, Benson signed a one-year, $520,000 contract with the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The club's home ...
on September 30, 2008.
DeDe Dorsey
DeDe Dorsey (born August 1, 1984) is a former American football running back. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Lindenwood.
Dorsey was also a member of the Indianapolis Colt ...
was placed on
injured reserve
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
and
Chris Perry was the starter. Benson's season began in a loss to the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...
, rushing 10 times for 30 yards. He became the starting back for the Bengals in Week 7 against the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
. Benson rushed 14 times for 52 yards in his first career start as a Bengal. In the following 35–6 loss to the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
, he totaled 49 yards on 13 carries and had two receptions for 20 yards. The Bengals picked up their first victory of the season in a 21–19 game against the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
, with Benson carrying 24 times for 104 yards and a touchdown. Benson hit his stride in the Bengals' three-game winning streak at the end of the season, gashing the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
in week 15 with 161 yards from scrimmage, including 88 yards receiving (79 of which came on a screen pass). In week 16, Benson dominated the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
, rushing for 171 yards. In the final game of the season against the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
, Benson had 111 yards on 25 carries. In the twelve games he was active during the 2008 season, Benson had 932 yards from scrimmage: 747 rushing and 185 receiving.
A
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
after the 2008 season, Benson visited with the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
before signing a two-year, $7-million contract with the Bengals on March 3, 2009.
Entering week 8 of the 2009 season, Benson had 164 carries for an NFL best 720 yards (4.4 per carry average). In week 5, he became the first 100-yard rusher against the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
in 40 games, when he rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown. In week 7, Benson faced his former team, the Chicago Bears, and rushed for a career-high 189 yards and a touchdown.
Benson went on to record his first 1,000-yard rushing season and he set a Bengals franchise record with six games with over 100 rushing yards. He finished the season as the NFL's 8th leading rusher with 1,251 yards, despite playing only 13 games. He then set a Bengals postseason record with 169 rushing yards in their 24–14 loss to the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
.
The Bengals declined to resign Benson in 2012. Coach
Marvin Lewis
Marvin Ronald Lewis (born September 23, 1958) is an American football coach who is the special advisor to the head coach at Arizona State. Previously, Lewis was the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League (NFL) for 1 ...
later recounted how he explained the decision to Benson: "'Ced, it's not that I didn't think you could do that on the football field, it was the other
tuff
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock cont ...
that I got tired of. When I would go to you and say we're going to rotate the backs
nd Benson would take it poorly I don't need that anymore.'"
Green Bay Packers
On August 12, 2012, Benson signed with the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
. The deal was reportedly a one-year contract worth $825,000.
On October 7, 2012, Benson suffered a
Lisfranc injury
A Lisfranc injury, also known as Lisfranc fracture, is an injury of the foot in which one or more of the metatarsal bones are displaced from the tarsus.
The injury is named after Jacques Lisfranc de St. Martin, a French surgeon and gynecolo ...
to his foot and was later placed on injured reserve.
Professional baseball career
Benson was drafted by the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
in the 12th round (370th overall) of the
2001 MLB Draft
The 2001 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 5 and 6.
First round selections
Supplemental First Round Selections
Compensation Picks
Background
On June 1, 2001, Rolando Viera, a Cuban ba ...
. While Benson did not play in the major leagues, he spent his time with the Dodgers playing in their summer league at
Vero Beach
Vero Beach is a city in and the seat of Indian River County, Florida, United States. Vero Beach is the second most populous city in Indian River County. Abundant in beaches and wildlife, Vero Beach is located on Florida's Treasure Coast. It is thi ...
. He also played with the
Gulf Coast League Dodgers
The Arizona Complex League Dodgers are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Camelback Ranch in Phoenix, Arizona. The team is compo ...
. In 25 at-bats he had 5 hits, 1 run, 3 doubles, 2 triples, and 2 RBIs.
NFL career statistics
Personal life
Benson's cousin, Aaron, played linebacker for the University of Texas from 2010–2013, but gave up the sport in his redshirt senior year.
Benson had
celiac disease
Coeliac disease (British English) or celiac disease (American English) is a long-term autoimmune disorder, primarily affecting the small intestine, where individuals develop intolerance to gluten, present in foods such as wheat, rye and barl ...
and attributed his adoption of a
gluten-free diet
A gluten-free diet (GFD) is a nutritional plan that strictly excludes gluten, which is a mixture of proteins found in wheat (and all of its species and hybrids, such as spelt, kamut, and triticale), as well as barley, rye, and oats. The inclus ...
to giving him more energy.
After his NFL career, Benson became a
loan originator.
Legal troubles
2008 arrests
Before the start of the
2008 season, Benson was arrested for allegedly operating a boat while
intoxicated and resisting arrest.
On May 3, 2008, the incident occurred near Austin, Texas, by the
Lower Colorado River Authority
The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) is a nonprofit public utility created in November 1934 by the Texas Legislature. LCRA's mission is to enhance the lives of the Texans it serves through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCR ...
during a late night safety inspection.
The official police report cited that Benson had failed a
field sobriety test
Field sobriety tests (FSTs), also referred to as standardized field sobriety tests (SFSTs), are a battery of tests used by police officers to determine if a person suspected of impaired driving is intoxicated with alcohol or other drugs. ''FSTs ...
, and became hostile towards the police.
The officers arrested Benson, and proceeded to use
pepper-spray
Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, or capsicum spray is a lachrymatory agent (a Chemical compound, compound that irritates the eyes to cause a burning sensation, pain, and temporary blindness) used in policing ...
after he forcefully resisted arrest.
Benson was later detained for the night, and charged with
boating while intoxicated and
resisting arrest
Resisting arrest, or simply resisting, is an illegal act of a suspected criminal either fleeing, threatening, assaulting, or providing a fake ID to a police officer during arrest. In most cases, the person responsible for resisting arrest is crimi ...
.
Benson later refuted the charges against him, and stated he requested to take a follow-up field sobriety test on land after failing the initial one.
Benson had further accused the officers of abusing him, stating, “I’m not handcuffed. I’m not under arrest. I’m not threatening him. I’m not pushing him. I’m not touching him. And he sprays me right in the eye.”
He also asserts that officers continuously struck his ankles and feet to prevent him from walking properly. A female passenger on Benson's boat also claimed to have witnessed the abuse and called her father out of fear for Benson's safety. Her fiancé, also on the boat, may have had dozens of pictures confirming Benson's account.
Upon hearing about the incident, Bears' head coach
Lovie Smith
Lovie Lee Smith (born May 8, 1958) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). From 2004 to 2016, he served as the head coach of the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a ...
stated, “I haven’t had a chance to speak with Cedric yet, but anytime we’re talking about one of our players getting arrested, you’re disappointed in it,” and added “What we’re going to do from here, I’ll go back and try to get as much information as I possibly can and go from there.”
Benson was arrested for
driving while intoxicated
Driving under the influence (DUI)—also called driving while impaired, impaired driving, driving while intoxicated (DWI), drunk driving, operating while intoxicated (OWI), operating under the influence (OUI), operating vehicle under the infl ...
in Austin, Texas, on June 7, 2008. While returning from a restaurant with his girlfriend, police claimed that Benson drove through a
red light, and failed a
field sobriety test
Field sobriety tests (FSTs), also referred to as standardized field sobriety tests (SFSTs), are a battery of tests used by police officers to determine if a person suspected of impaired driving is intoxicated with alcohol or other drugs. ''FSTs ...
.
Police claimed he later refused to take a
breath
Breathing (or ventilation) is the process of moving air into and from the lungs to facilitate gas exchange with the internal environment, mostly to flush out carbon dioxide and bring in oxygen.
All aerobic creatures need oxygen for cellular ...
or
blood test
A blood test is a laboratory analysis performed on a blood sample that is usually extracted from a vein in the arm using a hypodermic needle, or via fingerprick. Multiple tests for specific blood components, such as a glucose test or a cholester ...
to determine his
blood alcohol level
Blood alcohol content (BAC), also called blood alcohol concentration or blood alcohol level, is a measurement of alcohol intoxication used for legal or medical purposes; it is expressed as mass of alcohol per volume or mass of blood. For example ...
.
Police proceeded to detain Benson, and later released him on bond. Benson denied the police officers' allegations and insisted that he "aced" the field test.
Bears
general manager
A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
Jerry Angelo
Jerry Angelo (born c. 1949) is a former American football executive who was the general manager for the National Football League's Chicago Bears from 2001 to 2011. Prior to joining the Bears, Angelo spent 14 years overseeing Tampa Bay Buccaneers' ...
commented, "It's unfortunate. Disappointment is too much an often used word when we're talking about Cedric. The No. 1 lesson for every player is protect your job. We're all held accountable for our actions. I'm not going to say any more than that until we know for sure what the facts are." On the following Monday, Benson was waived from the Bears. Angelo commented on the release, stating ”Cedric displayed a pattern of behavior we will not tolerate... As I said this past weekend, you have to protect your job. Everyone in this organization is held accountable for their actions."
Benson was later ordered by a county judge to put a
built-in ignition interlock breathalyzer in his car. He was also told to start drug counseling classes. Benson was cleared of all charges in September, after appearing before two grand juries in
Travis County
Travis County is located in south central Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,290,188. It is the fifth-most populous county in Texas. Its county seat is Austin, the capital of Texas. The county was established in 1840 and is na ...
.
2010 arrest
On June 29, 2010, Benson was arrested for assault with injury after reportedly punching a bartender in the face. Benson himself denied committing the crime. Almost a month after the ordeal, the NFL announced that Benson would not be suspended.
2011 arrest
On July 17, 2011, Benson was arrested in Austin, Texas, for a misdemeanor charge of assault causing bodily injury to a family member. He was sentenced to 20 days in jail and ordered to pay a $4,000 fine. Benson was released from jail on September 3, after only five days of his sentence. He received a one-game suspension, enacted in week 8.
2017 arrest
On February 18, 2017, Benson was charged with driving while intoxicated in downtown Austin, Texas. According to court documents, Benson refused to take a field sobriety test and could not recite the alphabet from G to Z nor count past the number 3. Benson was released on the same day after posting bond.
Death and legacy
On August 17, 2019, Benson and a female passenger, Dr. Aamna Najam, were killed when his motorcycle crashed with a minivan on
RM 2222 in
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
. Benson and the woman were pronounced dead at the scene, and two passengers in the minivan were not seriously injured.
On the two year anniversary of Benson’s death, his family and the Austin Independent School District launched a mentorship program in his honor at Gus Garcia Young Men’s Leadership Academy.
See also
*
*
List of NCAA major college football yearly scoring leaders
The list of NCAA major college football yearly scoring leaders identifies the NCAA major college scoring leaders. Beginning with the 1937 college football season, when the NCAA began maintaining official records, the list includes each year's lea ...
*
List of Texas Longhorns football All-Americans
This is a list of college football All-Americans who have played at the University of Texas at Austin.
Key
''* Denotes Consensus All-America Selection''
''‡ Denotes Unanimous All-America Selection''
All-Americans
{{DEFAULTSORT:Texas Longho ...
*
List of Chicago Bears first-round draft picks
The Chicago Bears are an American football franchise based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the NFC North, a division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Every year in Spring, the NFL hosts a ...
*
List of people diagnosed with coeliac disease
The following is a list of notable people diagnosed with coeliac disease.
References
{{Gluten sensitivity
Coeliac disease
Coeliac disease (British English) or celiac disease (American English) is a long-term autoimmune disorder, prima ...
References
External links
*
Cincinnati Bengals bio*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benson, Cedric
1982 births
2019 deaths
American football running backs
Chicago Bears players
Cincinnati Bengals players
Green Bay Packers players
Gulf Coast Dodgers players
Texas Longhorns football players
People from Midland, Texas
Players of American football from Austin, Texas
Baseball players from Austin, Texas
African-American players of American football
African-American baseball players
Burials at Texas State Cemetery
Road incident deaths in Texas
Motorcycle road incident deaths
20th-century African-American people
21st-century African-American sportspeople
Ed Block Courage Award recipients