Cedric Benson

Cedric Benson during the 2007 Chicago Bears Training Camp.
Chicago Bears — No. 32
Running back
Date of Birth: December 28, 1982 (1982-12-28) (age 24)
Place of Birth: Midland, Texas
Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	Weight: 230 lb (104 kg)
National Football League Debut
2005 for the Chicago Bears
Career Highlights and Awards
Doak Walker Award (2004)
Career History
College: Texas
NFL Draft: 2005 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4
Teams: Chicago Bears (2005–Present)
Stats at NFL.com

Cedric Myron Benson (born December 28, 1982 in Midland, Texas) is an American football running back. The Chicago Bears wasted a valuable first round fourth overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft on Benson, who refuses to give anything even close to resembling effort since Thomas Jones was traded to the New York Jets. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... City Chicago, Illinois Other nicknames Da Bears, The Monsters of the Midway Team colors Navy Blue and Orange Head Coach Lovie Smith Owner Virginia Halas McCaskey Chairman Michael McCaskey General manager Jerry Angelo Fight song Bear Down, Chicago Bears Mascot Staley Da Bear League/Conference affiliations Independent (1919) National Football... In team sports, the squad number, shirt number, jersey number, sweater number, or uniform number is the number worn on a players uniform. ... P.J. Daniels was a star running back for Georgia Tech from 2002-2005. ... is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Nickname: Location within the state of Texas Country United States State Texas Counties Midland County Government  - Mayor Mike Canon Area  - City 173. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The 2005 National Football League regular season began on Thursday, September 8, 2005 and ended on Sunday, January 1, 2006, New Years Day. ... City Chicago, Illinois Other nicknames Da Bears, The Monsters of the Midway Team colors Navy Blue and Orange Head Coach Lovie Smith Owner Virginia Halas McCaskey Chairman Michael McCaskey General manager Jerry Angelo Fight song Bear Down, Chicago Bears Mascot Staley Da Bear League/Conference affiliations Independent (1919) National Football... The Doak Walker Award, first awarded in 1990, honors the nations top college football running back. ... This is a list of athletic conferences of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). ... University of Texas redirects here. ... The NFL Draft (officially the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting[1]) is an annual sports draft in which National Football League (NFL) teams take turns, through seven rounds[2], selecting amateur college American football players and other first-time eligible players. ... The 2005 NFL Draft, in which National Football League (NFL) teams take turns selecting amateur college American football players and other first-time eligible players, took place on April 23 and April 24, 2005[1] at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, New York. ... City Chicago, Illinois Other nicknames Da Bears, The Monsters of the Midway Team colors Navy Blue and Orange Head Coach Lovie Smith Owner Virginia Halas McCaskey Chairman Michael McCaskey General manager Jerry Angelo Fight song Bear Down, Chicago Bears Mascot Staley Da Bear League/Conference affiliations Independent (1919) National Football... is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Nickname: Location within the state of Texas Country United States State Texas Counties Midland County Government  - Mayor Mike Canon Area  - City 173. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... P.J. Daniels was a star running back for Georgia Tech from 2002-2005. ... City Chicago, Illinois Other nicknames Da Bears, The Monsters of the Midway Team colors Navy Blue and Orange Head Coach Lovie Smith Owner Virginia Halas McCaskey Chairman Michael McCaskey General manager Jerry Angelo Fight song Bear Down, Chicago Bears Mascot Staley Da Bear League/Conference affiliations Independent (1919) National Football... The 2005 NFL Draft, in which National Football League (NFL) teams take turns selecting amateur college American football players and other first-time eligible players, took place on April 23 and April 24, 2005[1] at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, New York. ... Thomas Jones is the name of several people: Thomas ap Catesby Jones, U.S. Navy officer Thomas P. Jones, publisher Thomas D. Jones, astronaut See also people named Tom Jones. ... City East Rutherford, New Jersey Other nicknames Gang Green, the Green and White, Jersey Jets Team colors Hunter green and white Head Coach Eric Mangini Owner Woody Johnson General manager Mike Tannenbaum League/Conference affiliations American Football League (1960-1969) Eastern Division (1960-1969) National Football League (1970–present) American...

High school career

Cedric 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. 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. Robert E. Lee High School is a public, co-educational secondary school in Midland, Texas. ... Nickname: Location within the state of Texas Country United States State Texas Counties Midland County Government  - Mayor Mike Canon Area  - City 173. ... Note: The term football when used throughout this article refers exclusively to gridiron football. ... The most recent issue of Dave Campbells Texas Football, published in June 2006. ... The position of the center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field - the baseball fielding position between left field and right field (e. ... This article is about the sport. ... Mark McGwire swinging for the fences. ... “RBI” redirects here. ...

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. A starting lineup in sports refers to the set of players actively participating in the event when the game begins. ... University of Texas redirects here. ... The Doak Walker Award, first awarded in 1990, honors the nations top college football running back. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A college football game between Colorado State and Air Force. ... The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA, often said NC-Double-A) is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletics programs of many colleges and universities in the United States. ... Division I is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the United States. ... Errick Lynne Williams, Jr. ...

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). Due to several off-field controversies involving Ricky Williams, Benson has tried to distance himself from Williams and establish his own identity. Dreadlocks, sometimes called simply locks or dreads, are matted ropes of hair which will form by themselves if the hair is allowed to grow naturally without the use of brushes, combs, razors or scissors for a long period of time. ...

Professional career

The Chicago Bears selected Benson as the fourth overall selection in the 2005 NFL Draft,^[1] making him the highest drafted Bears player since Dan Hampton in 1979.^[2] The Bears’ organization and Benson could not come to terms on a contract, causing him to miss the entire Bears' training camp.^[3] Benson, a thirty-six day hold-out, eventually signed a five-year contract worth thirty-five million dollars.^[4] The Bears wished to make Benson their feature running back, his lengthy contract impasse, had caused him to miss a significant portion of practice.^[4] Benson claims that he received a cold reception upon his return.^[5] The team temporarily made Thomas Jones their feature running back for beginning of the 2005 season.^[4] Jones's performance impressed the Bears' coaching staff. They left him as the team's starting running back throughout most of the season. Benson occasionally received playtime; he rushed for eighty yards on sixteen carries against the New Orleans Saints during his best game. However, shortly afterwards, in what appeared to be a horrific injury, he suffered a medial collateral ligament sprain and missed most of the remaining season. City Chicago, Illinois Other nicknames Da Bears, The Monsters of the Midway Team colors Navy Blue and Orange Head Coach Lovie Smith Owner Virginia Halas McCaskey Chairman Michael McCaskey General manager Jerry Angelo Fight song Bear Down, Chicago Bears Mascot Staley Da Bear League/Conference affiliations Independent (1919) National Football... The 2005 NFL Draft, in which National Football League (NFL) teams take turns selecting amateur college American football players and other first-time eligible players, took place on April 23 and April 24, 2005[1] at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, New York. ... Daniel Oliver Hampton (Born September 19, 1957 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) to Robert and Joan Hampton. ... The 1979 NFL Draft Round one Round two External link Hickok Sports: 1979 NFL Draft Categories: | ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... Thomas Quinn Jones (born August 19, 1978 in Big Stone Gap, Virginia) is an American football running back for the New York Jets. ... The Chicago Bears began their 2005 NFL season in hopes of recovering from a previous 5-11 record. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Diagram of the knee The medial collateral ligament (or MCL) is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. ...

During a 2006 FOX News Chicago Sports special on the Chicago Bears summer camp, it was revealed that Benson would be on top of Thomas Jones on the depth chart. Days after the announcement, FOX Chicago reported that Benson has injured his shoulder after a collision with Brian Urlacher during a routine scrimmage. Although the injury was not serious, it placed Benson on the Bears' injury list for a majority of the NFL's preseason. Jones was declared the unconditional starter before the season began. WFLD is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, based in Chicago, Illinois. ... Thomas Quinn Jones (born August 19, 1978 in Big Stone Gap, Virginia) is an American football running back for the New York Jets. ... This article is about the body part. ... Brian Keith Urlacher (born May 25, 1978) is an American football player for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. ... Scrimmage is a word referring to an informal game between members of the same team, usually in the spirit of practicing or mutually gaining improvement and experience. ...

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. The collision caused Seau to fall down and fracture his forearm. Lovie Lee Smith (born May 8, 1958 in Gladewater, Texas) is the head coach of the Chicago Bears professional football team of the NFL. Smith narrowly became the first African American coach to lead a team to the Super Bowl only hours before Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts became... The 2006 season of the National Football League (NFL) was the 87th one played by the major professional American football league in the United States. ... City Orchard Park, New York Team colors Navy blue, light blue, Red, light Red, White, Royal, and Nickel Head Coach Dick Jauron Owner Ralph Wilson General manager Marv Levy Mascot Billy Buffalo League/Conference affiliations American Football League (1960-1969) Eastern Division (1960-1969) National Football League (1970–present) American... City Foxborough, Massachusetts Other nicknames The Pats Team colors Nautical Blue, New Century Silver, Red, and White Head Coach Bill Belichick Owner Robert Kraft General manager Bill Belichick (de facto) Mascot Pat Patriot League/Conference affiliations American Football League (1960–69) Eastern Division (1960–69) National Football League (1970–present... The 2006 Chicago Bears season was their 87th regular season and 25th post-season completed in the National Football League. ... Junior Seau [SAY-ow] (born Tiaina Seau, Jr. ...

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.” [1] The following week, Benson out rushed Jones and scored a vital third quarter touchdown. He began to receive more carries as the weeks progressed, and managed to rush for over 100 yards against the Green Bay Packers. Lovie Lee Smith (born May 8, 1958 in Gladewater, Texas) is the head coach of the Chicago Bears professional football team of the NFL. Smith narrowly became the first African American coach to lead a team to the Super Bowl only hours before Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts became... “Packers” redirects here. ...

However, during the playoffs, Benson became the Bears' secondary running back again. In the divisional playoffs against the Seattle Seahawks, Benson only received twelve carries for which he rushed 45 yards. 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, Jones amassed two touchdowns and 123 rushing yards. In Super Bowl XLI in Miami, Benson was injured in the first half and finished the game with -1 yards rushing and a fumble in the Bears' 29-17 loss to Indianapolis. The National Football League playoffs following the 2005 regular season led up to Super Bowl XL, which was played in Detroit, Michigan on Sunday, February 5, 2006. ... City Seattle, Washington Team colors Pacific Blue, Navy Blue, Neon Green, White Head Coach Mike Holmgren Owner Paul Allen General manager Tim Ruskell Mascot Blitz, and Taima the hawk League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1976–present) American Football Conference (1977-2001) AFC West (1977-2001) National Football Conference (1976... NFC Championship Game is an American football game played every year to determine the champion of the National Football Conference of the National Football League. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Date February 4, 2007 Stadium Dolphin Stadium City Miami Gardens, Florida MVP Peyton Manning, Quarterback, Colts Favorite Colts by 6. ...

Trivia

• 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.

• While attending the University of Texas, Benson majored in social work and sociology.

• Outside of athletics, Cedric established himself as a hard working student while attending the University of Texas. 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.

• Cedric began to emerge as a football star in the eighth grade while attending Abell Junior High School in Midland, Texas. Cedric rushed for more than 1,900 yards in only 9 games.

Major league affiliations National League (1890–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 4, 19, 20, 24, 32, 39, 42, 53 Name Los Angeles Dodgers (1958–present) Brooklyn Dodgers (1932-1957) Brooklyn Robins (1914-1931) Brooklyn Dodgers (1913) Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers (1911-1912) Brooklyn Superbas (1899... Vero Beach has been the Spring training home of the Los Angeles Dodgers since 1948 Vero Beach is a city located in Indian River County, Florida. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The University of Texas System comprises fifteen educational institutions in Texas, of which nine are general academic universities, and six are health institutions. ... Professional social workers are concerned with social problems, their causes, their solutions and their human impacts. ... Sociology (from Latin: socius, companion; and the suffix -ology, the study of, from Greek λόγος, lógos, knowledge) is an academic and applied discipline that studies society and human social interaction. ... Categories: College athletics conferences ... Autumn colours at Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire, England. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

External links

• Benson's Official Chicago Bears Profile
• Cedric Benson Highlight Videos from jcdenton40.com