Cedric Benson

Infobox NFLactive
name=Cedric Benson


caption=Cedric Benson practicing at the Chicago Bears 2007 Training Camp.
currentteam=Cincinnati Bengals
currentnumber=32
currentposition=Running back
birthdate=birth date and age|1982|12|28
birthplace=Midland, Texas
heightft=5
heightin=11
weight=220
debutyear=2005
debutteam=Chicago Bears
college=Texas
draftyear=2005
draftround=1
draftpick=4
pastteams=
* Chicago Bears (2005-2007)
* Cincinnati Bengals (2008-present)
status=Practice Squad
highlights=
* Freshman All-American (2001)
* Second-team All-Big 12 (2002)
* 2x First-team All-Big 12 (2003-2004)
* Doak Walker Award (2004)
statweek=17
statseason=2007
statlabel1=Rushing yards
statvalue1=1,593
statlabel2=Rushing average
statvalue2=3.8
statlabel3=Rushing TDs
statvalue3=10
nfl=BEN508718

Cedric Myron Benson (born December 28, 1982 in city-state|Midland|Texas) is an American football running back for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears fourth overall in the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.

Early years

Benson began to emerge as a football stand-out in the eighth grade while attending Abell Junior High School in Midland, Texas. Benson attended Robert E. Lee High School in Midland, Texas, and finished his career with 8,423 rushing yards in his career (the most in Texas 5A history and the fourth most in Texas high school football history). He led his team to three consecutive State Championships, and rushed for a total of 15 touchdowns in the three championship games. Cedric rushed for more than 1,900 yards in only 9 games. He was the first high school player to ever make the cover of Dave Campbell's Texas Football annual magazine. Cedric was also a center fielder on the baseball team. As a senior, in District 4-5A games, he hit .361 with 4 home runs and 14 RBIs.

Baseball career

Benson was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 12th round (370th overall) of the 2001 MLB Draft. While Benson did not play in the major leagues, he spent his time with the Dodgers playing in their summer league at Vero Beach. He also played with the Gulf Coast League Dodgers. In 25 at bats he had 5 hits, 1 run, 3 doubles, 2 triples, and 2 RBIs. In 2003, Benson left the Dodgers to concentrate on his football career.

College career

Benson was a four-year starter at The University of Texas at Austin, where he received the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back in 2004. He finished his college career with 5,540 rushing yards to rank sixth all time in NCAA Division I-A history, and second only to Ricky Williams in school history. Benson was a 2004 All-America selection.

He has often been compared to Ricky Williams, due to their similarities in running style, college choice, and superficial appearance (roughly the same size and build coming out of college, and both had dreadlocks early in their careers), and the fact that they had both been minor league baseball players. Due to several off-field controversies involving Ricky Williams, Benson has tried to distance himself from Williams and establish his own identity. However, since entering the NFL Benson has had issues off the field as well.

While attending the University of Texas, Benson majored in social work and sociology. During his latter years, he earned membership into the Texas' Athletics Director's Academic Honor Roll, and the Big 12 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 conference opponent, Baylor. [cite news | first=Sarah | last=Schulte | coauthors= | title=Cedric Benson arrested in Texas | date=2008-05-04 | publisher=WLS-TV | url =http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6121399 | work =WLS-TV | pages = | accessdate = 2008-05-11 | language = ]

Professional career

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears selected Benson as the fourth overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, [McClain, John, [http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/mcclain/qa/3149866.html Texans pick Travis Johnson; Bears draft Benson] (April 24, 2005), Houston Chronicle. Retrieved on August 13, 2007.] making him the highest drafted Bears player since Dan Hampton in 1979. [Briggs, Brad, [http://www.suntimes.com/sports/236390,CST-SPT-bear31.article Benson speaks volumes] (January 31, 2007), Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved on August 13, 2007.] The Bears’ organization and Benson could not come to terms on a contract, causing him to miss the entire Bears' training camp. [Associated Press, [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/bears/2005-08-18-benson-holdout_x.htm Bears' Benson last first-round pick unsigned] (August 18, 2005), USA Today. Retrieved on August 13, 2007.] After a thirty-six day hold-out, Benson signed a five-year contract worth thirty-five million dollars.Eide, Paul, [http://www.realfootball365.com/nfl/articles/2006/09/jones-benson-bears040906.html Bears' starting running back an obvious choice] (September 4, 2006), Real Football 365. Retrieved on August 13, 2007.] The Bears wished to make Benson their feature running back, but his lengthy contract impasse had caused him to miss a significant portion of practice. Benson claims 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. [Robinson, Charles, [http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=ApoU4od7eQzui1KlkuVV_b9DubYF?slug=cr-benson090907&prov=yhoo&type=lgns Double trouble] (September 10, 2007), Yahoo! Sports, Retrieved on September 10, 2007.] Jay Glazer reported that certain players even attempted to intentionally injure during drills, [ [http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/The-Chicago-Bears-defense-does-not-endorse-Cedri;_ylt=AmtoJLBDoU36z4A64womC.5DubYF?urn=nfl,87187 The Chicago Bears defense does not endorse Cedric Benson - Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports ] ] though former Bears guard Ruben Brown has denied such claims. [http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/cs-080615-cedric-benson-chicago-bears,1,4412876.story]

The team temporarily made Thomas Jones their feature running back for beginning of the 2005 season. 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 during his best game. However, shortly afterwards, he suffered a medial collateral ligament sprain and missed most of the remaining season. [Associated Press, [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=251113003 Vasher's 108-yard return lifts Bears over 49ers] (November 13, 2005), ESPN. Retrieved on March 22, 2008.]

After the 2005 season, the Bears considered making Benson the team's feature running back after Thomas Jones was unhappy with his current contract status. The team's plans went astray when Benson injured his shoulder after colliding with Brian Urlacher 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, Lovie Smith selected Jones as the Bears' starter. Benson scored his first two touchdowns during week five of the 2006 NFL season, against the Buffalo Bills. In a game against the New England Patriots during week twelve of the 2006 Chicago Bears season, Benson collided with linebacker Junior Seau, causing Seau to fall down and fracture his forearm.

Days later, Benson challenged Lovie 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." [http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/player_news.asp?sport=NFL&id=3139&line=85336 Cedric Benson : USAToday.com - Cedric Benson Biography from USAToday.com ] ] The following week, Benson out rushed Jones and scored a vital touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings. He began to receive more carries as the weeks progressed, and managed to rush for over 100 yards against the Green Bay Packers.

Benson became the Bears' secondary running back again during the playoffs. In the 2006 NFC Championship Game 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. [Wilner, Barry, [http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/recap?gid=20070121003 Bears 39, Saints 14] (January 22, 2007), Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved on March 21, 2008.] In the team's following game, Super Bowl XLI, Benson sustained a knee injury in the first half, and missed the remainder of the game.

Lovie Smith named Benson as the Bears' starting running back after the team traded Thomas Jones to the New York Jets. Benson struggled throughout the preseason, but received enough support from his teammates and coaches to retain his starting position. [Mayer, Larry, [http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=3787 Veteran offensive linemen believe in Benson] (September 5, 2007), chicagobears.com, Retrieved on September 8, 2007.] 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 injury.Mayer, Larry, [http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=4262 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 relieved by Adrian N. Peterson. Jerry Angelo, the Bears' general manager, has 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.” The Bears drafted running back Matt Forté in the 2008 NFL Draft to provide Benson with some competition for the starting job. Benson was released by the Bears after the 2007 season on June 9, 2008, following his second alcohol-related arrest in five weeks.Citation |last= |first= |title=Bears send home Benson, later release troubled running back |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3434053 |publisher="ESPN" |date=2008-06-09 |accessdate=2008-06-09]

Cincinnati Bengals

Benson was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals on September 30, 2008 after running back DeDe Dorsey was placed on injured reserve. He will be the back-up to Chris Perry. [http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FBN_BENGALS_BENSON?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT]

Personal

2008 arrests

Before the start of the 2008 season, Benson was arrested for allegedly operating a boat while intoxicated and resisting arrest.cite news | first=April | last=Castro | coauthors= | title=Chicago RB Benson arrested on intoxicated boating charge | date=2008-04-05 | publisher=Associated Press | url =http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AtCbcYmmDxIefbsK_2SCXHP.uLYF?slug=txbearsbenson&prov=st&type=lgns | work =Yahoo! Sports | pages = | accessdate = 2008-05-05 | language = ] The incident occurred on May 3, 2008 near Austin, Texas by the Lower Colorado River Authority during a late night safety inspection. The official police report cited that Benson had failed a field sobriety test, and became hostile towards the police. The officers arrested Benson, and proceeded to use pepper-spray after he forcefully resisted arrest. Benson was later detained for the night, and released in the morning after paying a bail of $10,000-$14,000 dollars for boating while intoxicated and an additional $4,500 dollar charge for resisting arrest.

Benson has since refuted the charges against him, and stated he requested to take a follow-up field sobriety test on land after failing the initial one.cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Bears RB Benson disputes charges | date=2008-05-05 | publisher= | url =http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AtCbcYmmDxIefbsK_2SCXHP.uLYF?slug=txbearsbenson&prov=st&type=lgns | work =Yahoo! Sports | pages = | accessdate = 2008-05-05 | language = ] Benson has 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. [cite news | first=Matthew J. | last=Darnell | coauthors= | title=Party captain Cedric Benson claims innocence | date=2008-05-06 | publisher= | url =http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Party-captain-Cedric-Benson-claims-innocence;_ylt=AsrgIT.Na4slCJcxGpgXFKlDubYF?urn=nfl,80707 | work =Yahoo! Sports | pages = | accessdate = 2008-05-06 | language = ] A female passenger on Benson's boat also claims to have witnessed the abuse and called her father out of fear for Benson's safety. Her fiance, also on the boat, may have dozens of pictures confirming Benson's account. [cite news | first=David | last=Haugh | coauthors= | title=Friend sought help for Benson | date=2008-05-07 | publisher= | url =http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/cs-080506-cedric-benson-chicago-bears,1,2315723.story | work =Chicago Tribune | pages = | accessdate = 2008-05-07 | language = ]

Upon hearing about the incident, Bears’ head coach Lovie Smith 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.”cite news | first=Larry | last=Mayer | coauthors= | title=Benson arrested on intoxicated boating charge | date=2008-04-05 | publisher= | url =http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=4662 | work =chicagobears.com | pages = | accessdate = 2008-05-05 | language = ] If found guilty, Benson’s charges can be penalized with up to six months in jail and a $4,000 dollar fine.

Benson was arrested for driving while intoxicated in Austin on June 7, 2008. While returning from a restaurant with his girlfriend, police claim that Benson drove through a red light, and failed a field sobriety test. Police claim he later refused to take a breathe or blood test to determine his blood alcohol level.cite news | first=John | last=Poretto | coauthors= | title=Bears RB Benson arrested on drunken driving charge | date=2008-06-07 | publisher=Yahoo! Sports | url =http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Atey1v4dwUaPEr9cJEx3GQ0dsLYF?slug=ap-bensonarrested&prov=ap&type=lgns | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-06-10 | language = ] Police proceeded to detain Benson, and later released him on bond. Benson has denied the police officers' allegations, and insisted that he 'aced' the field test.cite news | first=Matthew | last=Darnell | coauthors= | title=Cedric Benson has a job ... for at least a few more hours | date=2008-06-09 | publisher=Yahoo! Sports | url =http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Cedric-Benson-has-a-job-for-at-least-a-few-m;_ylt=AsMxuPv2hNhGXTN.cvJW_etDubYF?urn=nfl,86827 | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-06-10 | language = ] Bears general manager Jerry Angelo 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.” [cite news | first=Larry | last=Mayer | coauthors= | title=Angelo frustrated, disappointed after Benson arrest | date=2008-06-07 | publisher=chicagobears.com | url =http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=4776 | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-06-10 | language = ] 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."cite news | first=Andrew | last=Seligman | coauthors= | title=Bears waive Benson following 2nd arrest | date=2008-06-09 | publisher=Yahoo! Sports | url =http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=ArLqibz0HqoOcJ2yRc7rggRDubYF?slug=ap-bears-benson&prov=ap&type=lgns | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-06-10 | language = ]

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. [ [http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/longhorns/entries/2008/06/23/bensons_bond_ch.html Benson ordered to get breathalyzer device on car] ] Benson was cleared of all charges in September, after appearing before two grand juries in Travis County. . [cite news | first=Andre | last=Coe | coauthors= | title=Grand juries no-bill Benson over 2 Texas arrests | date=2008-09-25 | publisher=Yahoo! Sports | url =http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Aur9j8O6QH_D27f4gGUCu89DubYF?slug=ap-bensonarrested&prov=ap&type=lgns | work =Associated Press | pages = | accessdate = 2008-09-26 | language = ]

References

External links

* [http://www.chicagobears.com/team/player5.html Chicago Bears bio]
* [http://www.bengals.com/team/player.asp?player_id=229 Cincinnati Bengals bio]