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On Sunday it was reported that former NFL and University of Texas running back Cedric Benson had tragically died at the young age of just 36-years-old.
Benson, the fourth overall pick by the Chicago Bears in the 2005 NFL Draft, was killed in a motorcycle crash in Austin, Texas around 10 p.m. Saturday night. A passenger on the motorcycle also was also killed in the crash.
After eight seasons with the Bears, Bengals and Packers, Benson retired from the NFL with 6,017 rushing yards, three 1,000-yard rushing seasons, and 33 touchdowns.
However, it was in college where Benson truly shined as a four-year starter for the Texas Longhorns. In four seasons, Benson rushed for 5,540 rushing yards, ranking him sixth all time in NCAA Division I history. He also was just the sixth player in DI history at the time to rush for 1,000 yards in four straight seasons.
In Benson’s senior season he rushed for 1,834 yards and 19 touchdowns, winning the Doak Walker Award beating out Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma and J.J. Arrington of Cal.
Overall, Benson carried the ball an astounding 1,112 times for an average of 5.0 yards per carry with 64 touchdowns on the ground for the Longhorns.
Sunday night, the Longhorn Network put together a tribute video for Cedric Benson that’s an emotional highlight reel showing why he belongs up there with the likes of Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams as of one of UT’s all time best.
We remember Cedric Benson. pic.twitter.com/9spXHgcwvt
— Longhorn Network (@LonghornNetwork) August 19, 2019