Travis Jayvinski Benjamin (born December 29, 1989) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
wide receiver who is a free agent. 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 rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at the
University of Miami
The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, incl ...
. He was drafted by 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 ( ...
in the fourth round of the
2012 NFL Draft
The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players for their rosters. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held ...
.
High school career
Benjamin attended
Glades Central High School
Glades Central Community High School is a high school located in Belle Glade, Florida. In the 2014–15 school year its enrollment numbered 992 students. It is known for having one of the best high school football teams in the nation, with more foo ...
in
Belle Glade, Florida
Belle Glade is a city in south-central Florida and it is the far western part of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States, on the southeastern shore of Lake Okeechobee. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 17,467.
Bel ...
, and played on the
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 c ...
team. He played on the state championship team as a junior and was a contributing factor to their success in the following season; finishing with eight receiving touchdowns as a senior. Was the 21st-ranked wide receiver by ESPN and 144th overall in the Class of 2008. During the 2008 Muck Bowl against rival
Pahokee High School
Pahokee High School (also known as Pahokee Junior Senior High School) is a historic school in Pahokee, Florida. It is currently located at 900 Larrimore Road. On November 15, 1996, The old Pahokee High School building on E. Main St. was added t ...
, Benjamin was covered by
Janoris Jenkins
Janoris Jermain Jenkins (born October 29, 1988), nicknamed "Jackrabbit", is an American football cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Alabama and Florida and was draft ...
and was able to make a touchdown reception.
In addition to playing football, Benjamin ran for the Glades Central track team. He competed in the
100 meters
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contest ...
and
long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...
. He ran personal season bests of 10.42 seconds in the
100 meters
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contest ...
and 6.97 meters in the long jump. He placed fourth in both the 100 meters and long jump at the 2A state meet in 2008. He also led his team to a 2A state runner-up finish in his junior year.
In 2009, Benjamin ran a season-best time of 6.40 seconds in the
55 meters 55 metres is a sprint event in track and field. It is a relatively uncommon non-championship event for indoor track and field. The history of the event lies in the 60-yard dash, which is about 5 inches shorter than 55 metres. Since the 1960s almos ...
at the Tom Jones Invitational. In the
60 meters
60 metres, or 60-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior ath ...
, he ran a season-best time of 6.90 seconds in the preliminary round of the Texas A&M Invitational.
College career
Benjamin 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 rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
for the
Miami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes (known informally as The U, UM, or The 'Canes) are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The Hurricanes compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic A ...
for four seasons from 2008 to 2011. As a freshman, he had 18 receptions for 293 receiving yards in 11 games. As a sophomore, he had 29 receptions for 501 yards and 4 touchdowns in 11 games. His best game came in the season opener against Florida State with four receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown. As a junior, he had 43 receptions for 743 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games. As a senior, he had 41 receptions for 609 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games.
In 2010, Benjamin joined Miami's indoor track team. He placed fourth in the
ACC
ACC most often refers to:
* Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US
*American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...
Championships in the
60 meters
60 metres, or 60-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior ath ...
with a season-best time of 6.74 seconds. He ran the team's three fastest times on the season in the
60 meters
60 metres, or 60-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior ath ...
.
Competing for the outdoor track team, Benjamin earned All-ACC honors, placing third in the
100 meters
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contest ...
at the ACC Championships, with a time of 10.40 seconds, the fastest time of any Miami sprinter on the season. He ran the second leg of the
4 x 100 meter relay
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
In mathematics
Four is the smallest c ...
that advanced to the NCAA semifinals, that ran a season-best time of 39.57 seconds at the NCAA quarter finals, setting a school record, and placed fifth at the Penn Relays with a time of 40.35 seconds.
College statistics
Professional career
Benjamin was one of 47 collegiate wide receivers to attend the
NFL Scouting Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Footb ...
in
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...
. He tied
Stanford's
Chris Owusu and
Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill for the best 40-yard dash time among all wide receivers at the combine. He completed the majority of drills, but skipped the short shuttle and three-cone due to a leg cramp. On March 8, 2012, Benjamin attended Miami's pro day and performed the short shuttle, three-cone drill, and positional drills. 66 team representatives and scouts from the
NFL
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 major ...
and
CFL
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
attended, including
Pittsburgh Steelers' head coach
Mike Tomlin
Michael Pettaway Tomlin (born March 15, 1972) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Since joining the Steelers in 2007, he has led the team to ten playoff runs, se ...
. At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Benjamin was projected to be a third or fourth round draft pick by the majority of NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked the 27th best wide receiver prospect by NFL.com and the 64th best wide receiver prospect in the draft by NFLDraftScout.com.
Cleveland Browns
![Travis Benjamin](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Travis_Benjamin.JPG)
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 ( ...
selected Benjamin in the fourth round with the 100th overall pick in the
2012 NFL Draft
The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players for their rosters. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held ...
. He was the 15th wide receiver selected in 2012.
2012
On May 10, 2012, the Cleveland Browns signed Benjamin to a four-year, $2.57 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $477,000.
Throughout training camp, he competed with
Greg Little,
Josh Cribbs
Joshua Cribbs (born June 9, 1983) is an American former football return specialist and wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Kent State University, and was signed by the Cleveland Browns a ...
,
Josh Gordon
Joshua Caleb Gordon (born April 13, 1991) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He previously played for the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Tennessee Titans. Nicknamed ...
,
Jordan Norwood
Jordan Shea Rashad Norwood (born September 29, 1986) is a Filipino-American former professional American football, football wide receiver and punt returner who played eight seasons in the NFL. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted ...
,
Carlton Mitchell
Carlton Mitchell (born April 6, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at South Flor ...
,
Josh Cooper, and
Rod Windsor
Rodrickus Windsor (born April 24, 1985) is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Western New Mexico University.
College career
Rod began his college career at Garden City Community Coll ...
for the role as the second wide receiver. Head coach
Pat Shurmur named him the fourth wide receiver behind
Mohamed Massaquoi
Mohamed Jah Massaquoi ( ; born November 24, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Georgia and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
Massaquoi has also been a ...
, Greg Little, and Josh Gordon.
He made his professional regular season debut in the
Cleveland Browns' season-opener against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
and had one reception for 12-yards and a carry for 35-yards during their 17–16 loss. His first career reception came in the second quarter on a 12-yard pass by
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
Brandon Weeden
Brandon Kyle Weeden (born October 14, 1983) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. After pursuing a baseball career from 2002 to 2006, Weeden enrolled at Oklahoma State to pla ...
. The following week, he earned his first career start during the Browns' 34–27 loss at 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) AFC North, North division. The c ...
. On September 23, 2012, Benjamin caught two passes for 44-yards and scored his first career touchdown in the Browns' 24–14 loss to 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. ...
. His first career touchdown receptions came on a 22-yard pass from Brandon Weeden in the third quarter. The following week during a Week 4 matchup 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 ...
, Benjamin had the first punt return of his career for a 40-yard gain and had two kick returns for a total of 47-yards during a 23–16 loss. In Week 14, he returned a punt for a 93-yard touchdown to set a franchise record for longest punt return by a rookie in Cleveland's 30-7 routing of 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 ...
. On December 16, 2012, Benjamin made a season-long 69-yard touchdown reception in the Browns' 38–21 loss to 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 ...
. On December 30, 2012, he made a season-high four receptions for 43 receiving yards as Cleveland lost 24–10 at 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 ...
. He finished his rookie season with 18 receptions for 298 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while also carrying the ball six times for 66-yards. Benjamin was used sparingly as a returner with Josh Cribbs entrenched in the role and finished the season with three kick returns for 76-yards and three punt returns for 149-yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, head coach
Pat Shurmur was fired after the Cleveland Browns finished last in the
AFC North
The American Football Conference – Northern Division or AFC North is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division was adopted after the restructuring of the 2002 NFL s ...
with a 4–12 record.
2013
He entered an open competition for the vacant starting wide receiver role after the departure of
Mohamed Massaquoi
Mohamed Jah Massaquoi ( ; born November 24, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Georgia and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
Massaquoi has also been a ...
. Benjamin competed against Greg Little, Josh Gordon,
Davone Bess
Davone Atrayo Bess (born September 13, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Hawaii.
Early years
Bess attended Skyline High Scho ...
, and Jordan Norwood. Head coach
Rob Chudzinski
Robert Matthew Chudzinski (born May 12, 1968) is an American football coach who is currently the special assistant to the head coach of the Boston College Eagles. Chudzinski was the offensive coordinator for several National Football League (N ...
named Benjamin the starting punt and kick returner after
Josh Cribbs
Joshua Cribbs (born June 9, 1983) is an American former football return specialist and wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Kent State University, and was signed by the Cleveland Browns a ...
departed in free agency.
He started the
Cleveland Browns' season-opener against the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
and caught three passes for 44-yards in their 23–10 loss. In Week 5 against the
Bills in 2013, Benjamin returned a punt 79-yards for a touchdown en route to a 37–24 victory. On October 27, Benjamin suffered a torn ACL injury and missed the remainder of the season. He finished the season with five receptions for 105 receiving yards and had one carry for 45-yards in eight games and three starts. At the time of his injury, Benjamin was seventh in the league in punt return average.
2014
Head coach
Mike Pettine
Michael Mark Pettine (born September 25, 1966) is an American football coach who currently is an assistant head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 2014 to 2015, an ...
was hired by the Browns for the season and held an open competition for the starting wide receiver role after
Josh Gordon
Joshua Caleb Gordon (born April 13, 1991) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He previously played for the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Tennessee Titans. Nicknamed ...
was suspended in August. Benjamin competed with newly acquired free agents
Nate Burleson
Nathaniel Eugene Burleson (born August 19, 1981) is a Canadian-born television host, American football commentator, and former wide receiver. He played college football for the University of Nevada, Reno and was drafted into the National Footb ...
,
Miles Austin
Miles Jonathon Austin III (born June 30, 1984) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played in the NFL for 10 seasons, ...
, and
Andrew Hawkins
Andrew Austin Hawkins (born March 10, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver. He played six seasons in the National Football League with the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns and two seasons for the Montreal Alouettes of the Ca ...
. He was named the third wide receiver and starting slot receiver behind Miles Austin and Andrew Hawkins.
Benjamin played in the
Cleveland Browns' season-opener at 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 ...
and caught two passes for 20-yards and a touchdown during the 30–27 loss. His touchdown came in the fourth quarter on a nine-yard pass from quarterback
Brian Hoyer
Axel Edward Brian Hoyer (born October 13, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Since joining the NFL in 2009 as an undrafted free agent, he has started for seven different ...
to tie the game 27-27 before Steelers' kicker
Shaun Suisham
Shaun Christopher Suisham (; born December 29, 1981) is a Canadian-born former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was signed b ...
made a 47-yard field goal to win the game. On October 5, 2014, Benjamin made a season-high four receptions for 48-yards and caught two touchdown receptions during a 29–28 victory at the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
. He caught a 17-yard touchdown and a six-yard touchdown pass from Brian Hoyer in the fourth quarter to help lead the Browns in a comeback victory. It was the first multi-touchdown game of his career. During a Week 15 matchup against 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) AFC North, North division. The c ...
, Benjamin had two punt returns for 24-yards and made his first career tackle on Bengal's linebacker
Rey Maualuga
Reynold Tala Maualuga (born January 20, 1987) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at USC, and was recognized as a unanimous All-American. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2009 N ...
after he intercepted a pass attempt by quarterback
Johnny Manziel
Johnathan Paul Manziel ( ; born December 6, 1992) is an American football quarterback for the FCF Zappers of Fan Controlled Football (FCF). He played two seasons with the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) and was also a mem ...
, intended for receiver
Taylor Gabriel
Taylor James Gabriel (born February 17, 1991) is a former American football wide receiver who played for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football at Abilene Christian, he signed with the Cleveland Brown ...
, and returned it 33-yards during the Browns 30–0 loss. He finished the season with 18 receptions for 314-yards and three touchdowns in 16 games and zero starts.
2015
Benjamin received competition for the starting wide receiver job after the Browns signed longtime veterans
Dwayne Bowe
Dwayne Lorenzo Bowe (born September 21, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Louisiana State University, and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played ...
and
Brian Hartline
Brian Jack Hartline (born November 22, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver who currently serves as the offensive coordinator at Ohio State. He played college football at Ohio State, and was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the four ...
after Miles Austin departed in free agency and Josh Gordon received a second suspension for the full 2015 season. Head coach Mike Pettine surprisingly named Benjamin the starting wide receiver for the first time of his career, along with Andrew Hawkins, after he had a productive training camp where he was called the, "most improved teammate" by
Donte Whitner
Donte Demetrius Whitner Sr. (born July 24, 1985) is a former professional American football strong safety. He played college football at Ohio State, and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills eighth overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. Whitner has also pla ...
. Although Bowe and Hartline were slated as the projected starters.
He started the
Cleveland Browns' season-opener against 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 J ...
and made three receptions for 89-yards and a touchdown as they lost 31–10. The following week, he caught three passes for 115 receiving yards and two touchdowns receptions in a 28–14 victory over the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
. Benjamin was responsible for three of the Browns' touchdowns during the game, catching a 60-yard and 50-yard touchdown pass from Johnny Manziel and returning a punt return for a 78-yard touchdown in the second quarter and was named the
AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. During a Week 3 matchup against the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
, Benjamin made four receptions for 45-yards and one touchdown in their 27–20 loss. On October 18, 2015, Benjamin caught a season-high nine passes for a season-high 117 receiving yards as the Browns went on to lose 26–23 to the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
. In Week 10, he made seven catches for 113-yards and caught his fifth touchdown reception of the season in a 30–9 loss at 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 ...
. Benjamin would finish the season with career-highs of 68 receptions for 966 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions in 15 starts and 16 games. Unfortunately, the Cleveland Browns finished last in the AFC North for the fourth consecutive season with a 3–13 record and head coach
Mike Pettine
Michael Mark Pettine (born September 25, 1966) is an American football coach who currently is an assistant head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 2014 to 2015, an ...
was fired after the season.
Although the Cleveland Browns and Benjamin both were adamant about getting a new contract before the beginning of free agency and attempted to reach an agreement multiple times, discussions between both sides broke down and Benjamin entered the market.
San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers
2016
On March 9, 2016, the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
signed Benjamin to a four-year, $24 million contract with $13 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $5 million.
Benjamin entered training camp slated as one of the starting wide receivers with
Keenan Allen
Keenan Alexander Allen (born April 27, 1992) is an American football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at California before leaving after his junior year. He was drafted ...
. Head coach
Mike McCoy named him and Allen the official starters to begin the regular season.
He made his official
San Diego Chargers' debut in their season-opener at 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 ...
and caught seven passes for 32-yards in a 33–27 loss. The next week, Benjamin made six catches for 115 receiving yards and caught his first touchdown as a member of the Chargers on a 45-yard pass from
Philip Rivers
Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football at NC State and was sele ...
in their 38–14 win 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 ...
. On October 9, 2016, he had seven receptions for a season-high 117 receiving yards in the Chargers' 34–31 loss at the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
. He was unable to play in the Chargers Week 10 game against the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
after sustaining a knee injury. Benjamin finished the season with 47 catches for 677 receiving yards and four touchdowns in eight starts and 14 games. It was reported that Benjamin dealt with multiple injuries throughout the season that limited his playing time and ability to start all 16 games.
2017
Benjamin entered the season under his fifth head coach in six seasons after the Los Angeles Chargers hired
Anthony Lynn
Anthony Ray Lynn (born December 21, 1968) is an American football coach and former running back who is the assistant head coach and running backs coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played in t ...
to be their new head coach. He entered training camp facing stiff competition for one of the starting wide receiver jobs after the Chargers drafted
Clemson wide receiver
Mike Williams seventh overall. He also had to contest with
Tyrell Williams
Tyrell Williams (born February 12, 1992) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Western Oregon and was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He has also played for ...
and
Dontrelle Inman
Dontrelle Javaar Inman (born January 31, 1989) is an American gridiron football wide receiver for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Virginia and was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars of ...
who both started for the Chargers throughout the 2016 season.
In the
Los Angeles Chargers' season-opener against the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
on ''Monday Night Football'', Benjamin recorded three receptions for 43-yards and caught a 38-yard receiving touchdown from quarterback
Philip Rivers
Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football at NC State and was sele ...
in their 24–21 loss. On September 24, 2017, Benjamin caught five passes for a season-high 105 receiving yards in Los Angeles' 24–10 loss to 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 ...
. In Week 7, Benjamin scored on a 64-yard punt return plus a 42-yard receiving touchdown in a 21–0 win over the Broncos, earning him AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. The next week, 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 ...
, Benjamin caught a season-high tying five passes for 64-yards and a touchdown, but muffed a punt at the Chargers' 8-yard line and then retreated into his own end zone, where he was tackled; the result was a Patriots
safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are ...
as the Chargers lost 21–13.
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on W 5 ...
went on to call it "one of the worst punt returns in NFL history." Overall, he finished the 2017 season with 34 receptions for 567 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
2018
In a crowded position group, Benjamin totaled 12 receptions for 186 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown in the 2018 season.
2019
On April 16, 2019, Benjamin signed a one-year contract extension with the Chargers through the 2020 season. He was placed on injured reserve on October 17, 2019, with a quad injury.
San Francisco 49ers
On April 3, 2020, Benjamin signed a one-year contract with the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
. On August 5, 2020, Benjamin announced he would opt out of the 2020 season due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
On August 31, 2021, Benjamin was released by the 49ers and re-signed to the practice squad the next day. He was promoted to active roster on October 9, 2021.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Benjamin, Travis
1989 births
Living people
American football return specialists
American football wide receivers
Cleveland Browns players
Los Angeles Chargers players
Miami Hurricanes football players
People from Belle Glade, Florida
Players of American football from Florida
San Diego Chargers players
San Francisco 49ers players
Sportspeople from the Miami metropolitan area