SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE HORNS ILLUSTRATED 1
18
More than a Longhorn legend, Cedric Benson embodied the Lone Star State.
SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE
CONTENTS BENSON’S BEST AT UT BENSON WAS LONGHORNS WORKHORSE FRESHMAN YEAR SOPHOMORE YEAR JUNIOR YEAR SENIOR YEAR “IN MEMORIAM”
A TEXAS TEAMMATE AND LONGHORN BROTHER IN ARMS HIGH SCHOOL + NFL HALL OF HONOR
COVER PHOTO: COURTESY TEXAS ATHLETICS PHOTOGRAPHY, FACEBOOK.COM/CEDRIC.BENSON32
2 HORNS ILLUSTRATED
SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE
14
ALL PHOTOS IN THIS SPREAD COURTESY TEXAS ATHLETICS PHOTOGRAPHY
3 4 5 6 8 10 14 18 23 24
5
CAREER STATS
49 games played
1,112
HONORS, ACCOLADES AND HIS PLACE IN HISTORY
rushing attempts
9th Among NCAA Football’s All-Time Leading Rushers
5,540
8th on the NCAA Football All-Time Rushing Touchdowns Leaders
5.0
2nd All-Time in Rushing Yards at UT
rushing yards
yards/carry
64
rushing TDs
69 receptions
621 receiving yards
3 receiving TDs
43-8 overall record at UT
2nd All-Time in Rushing Touchdowns at the University of Texas
1st All-Time in Rushing Attempts at Texas His 1,053 rushing yards and 12 TD runs as a true freshman are both UT freshman records Only Longhorn player ever, and 1 of 8 players in NCAA history to rush for at least 1,000 in each of four straight seasons Texas finished No. 6 or better in 3 of Benson’s 4 seasons at UT, also ranked second in UT history in career 100-yard rushing games (25) The Longhorns won 3 Bowl Games during Benson’s tenure
2000 - Named Mr. Football USA as the United States high school football National Player of the Year after his senior season at Midland Lee High School 2001 - Named Texas’ Offensive MVP 2001 - Named Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year 2002 - Named second-team All-Big 12 Conference 2003 - Named to Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll 2003 - Made Texas Athletics Director’s Academic Honor Roll 2003 - Named second-team All-Big 12 Conference 2004 - Benson received the Doak Walker Award honoring the top collegiate running back in the nation 2004 - Benson recognized as a consensus All-American 2004 - Named first-team All-Big 12 Conference
2014 - Inducted into the Texas Football Hall of Honor SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE HORNS ILLUSTRATED 3
T
HERE ARE A select number of running backs that could be on a Texas Longhorns’ version of Mount Rushmore. Two of them, Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams, the program’s two Heisman Trophy winners, earn automatic spots on the huge mountainous sculpture. Cedric Benson, who ran for the secondmost yards ever in a career for a Texas runner and carried the team, literally and figuratively in the days when rushing was paramount to passing, would be the third. Benson racked up 5,540 rushing yards in his college career to rank ninth all-time in NCAA Division 1A history, and second only to Williams in the Longhorns’ team record books. He won the Doak Walker Award as a senior, and spent his four seasons on the Forty Acres as the offensive yin to standout linebacker Derrick Johnson’s yang. “Being two of the biggest names in our recruiting class in 2001, Cedric and I roomed together our freshman year,” Johnson said. “We were from two very different backgrounds and parts of Texas but we quickly became really great friends. On the field, Cedric was a workhorse and one of the toughest players I’ve ever been around.” Every year provided highlights and captivating moments during the well-loved Benson’s college career, during which the Longhorns, under head coach Mack Brown, went 43-8 and played in the Holiday Bowl (twice), the Cotton Bowl, and ultimately, the Rose Bowl as part of the Bowl Championship Series. ALL PHOTOS IN THIS SPREAD COURTESY TEXAS ATHLETICS PHOTOGRAPHY
WITH 5,540 YARDS RUSHING IN HIS COLLEGIATE CAREER, HE RANKS SECOND ALL-TIME IN THE TEXAS RECORD BOOKS
4 HORNS ILLUSTRATED
SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE
CEDRIC BENSON FRESHMAN YEAR 2001-2002
Benson and former Texas quarterback Chris Simms talk to ESPN College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit.
Freshman Season IN BENSON’S VERY first game on the Forty Acres he carried the ball 15 times for 64 yards and a touchdown in mostly mop-up duty in the Longhorns’ easy 41-7 win over New Mexico State. He had 75 yards and a score two weeks later in a 53-26 victory at Houston but did not see the field when the Longhorns lost 14-3 to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry on Oct. 6. After that, Benson took on a much larger role for the Longhorns and his stellar career was ready for takeoff. Benson cracked the 100-yard barrier for the first time in college when he rambled for 131 yards on 31 carries as Texas beat Oklahoma State 45-17 in the very next game on Oct. 13. Then he added 100 yards on 23 totes a week after that in a 41-7 victory over Colorado. His 157-yard output at Missouri in a 35-16 win established a new personal best that lasted just two weeks until he steamrolled to 218 yards and two touchdowns in a 59-0 win over Kansas, a game in which he also caught a 60-yard scoring pass. His two fourth-quarter touchdowns were the difference in a 21-7 win at Texas A&M on Thanksgiving. “It never got easier,” Benson said afterward. “But I did have a few more places to run in the second half. In these kind of games, whoever is toughest the longest wins.” Benson had 79 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown in the 39-37 loss in the Big 12 Championship game at Texas Stadium in Irving before getting injured. The unfortunate injury also kept him out of the Longhorns’ 47-43 win over Washington in the Holiday Bowl.
223 rushes 1,053 yards 4.7 ypc 12 TD 17 catches 203 yards
Ran for UT freshman records of 1,053 yards and 12 TDs in 2001 Notable Performance: Benson made his mark as a freshman stand the test of time, especially November 10th, 2001 as Benson ran all over Kansas on his way to racking up 213 yards in a 59-0 victory over the Jayhawks. His rushing total from that game stood as a UT freshman record for 14 years.
SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE HORNS ILLUSTRATED 5
CEDRIC BENSON
Sophomore Season AFTER A SLOW start in a 27-0 win over North Texas in the 2002 season opener, Benson caught fire in the second game, running for 208 yards and two touchdowns in a 52-21 win at North Carolina. He was an absolute workhorse for Texas the following week, carrying 37 times for 160 yards and a touchdown in a 41-11 victory over Houston. Two weeks later, Benson was a difference maker in the Horns’ 17-15 win over Oklahoma State in which he gained 117 yards on 27 carries. The victory sent third-ranked Texas into the Red River Rivalry with a stout No. 2 Oklahoma team, but the Sooners stymied Benson in the dustup, a 35-24 win for OU, in which he ran for only 54 yards on 22 totes. Benson was back in the groove in a 21-10 win over Iowa State in the rain in Week 8, racking up 199 yards and a 59-yard TD run in the victory. He carried 28 times for 86 yards and the deciding touchdown in a 27-24 win at Nebraska the following week, then just 64 yards on 22 carries in a 41-0 win over Baylor and 75 (on 21 attempts) in the Longhorns’ 42-38 loss at Texas Tech. Thirty of Benson’s 88 yards in Texas’ 50-20 win on Thanksgiving over Texas A&M were on a touchdown scamper that spurred a decisive 27-0 run by the Longhorns bridging the third and fourth quarters. Texas ended the season with a 35-20 triumph over Louisiana State in the Cotton Bowl, with Benson picking up a tough 46 yards on 12 carries.
6 HORNS ILLUSTRATED
SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE
ALL PHOTOS IN THIS SPREAD COURTESY TEXAS ATHLETICS PHOTOGRAPHY
SOPHOMORE YEAR 2002-2003
His 1,293 yards rank No. 9 on UT’s all-time single-season list
305 rushes 1,293 yards 4.2 ypc 12 TD 21 catches 119 yards
Benson leaps past an LSU defender during the Longhorns’ 35-20 win in the Cotton Bowl.
Notable Performance: Without Benson, Texas may not have escaped its tightly contested game with Oklahoma State on Oct. 5, 2002. The game featured plenty of out of character miscues and mistakes, but as the Longhorns struggled to find a flow in the game Benson kept chugging along. His 117-yard performance kept the chains moving for Texas and ate up clock as well, helping put Texas in position to squeak the win out with a Rod Babers’ goal-line tackle on a 2-point conversion attempt and late fourth-quarter interception to help then No. 2 Texas reach 5-0 for the first time since 1983.
SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE HORNS ILLUSTRATED 7
CEDRIC BENSON JUNIOR YEAR 2003-2004
258 rushes 1,360 yards 5.3 ypc 21 TD
Junior Season A 66-7 BLOWOUT WIN over New Mexico began Benson’s and Texas’ 2003 campaign, with the lopsided score limiting the star running back to 40 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. He followed that game with a 27-yard performance in a 38-28 home loss to Arkansas. Benson then found his stride in Week 3, a 48-7 win at Rice in which he ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns and caught a pass for 59 yards and another score. Three touchdowns and 88 yards on the ground by Benson were more than enough for the Longhorns to waltz past Tulane 63-18 on Sept. 27. Then Kansas State bottled up Benson (17 carries for 54 yards) and the Texas offense but couldn’t keep UT from winning, 24-20. Texas laid an egg the following week in a 65-13 loss to Oklahoma in Dallas before rebounding with a lengthy winning streak. Texas finished the 2003 regular season with six straight wins, beginning with a 40-19 win at Iowa State in which Benson was a man on a mission, bulldozing his way to 140 yards on 32 carries with three touchdowns. After missing the Horns’ 56-0 win at Baylor because of a shoulder injury, Benson returned with a vengeance the following week in Texas’s 31-7 win against Nebraska, amassing 174 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries. “We came out with a mindset that we would not be defeated,” Benson said after the win over the Cornhuskers. “This shows the character of our team. For me personally, it felt good to be back on the field. My week off helped me get my mind where it needed to be.” Benson powered to a whopping 180 yards and a touchdown in a 55-16 victory at Oklahoma State, and followed that up with 142 yards and a pair of scores in the Longhorns’ 43-40 win over Texas Tech. Benson racked up a then career-high four touchdown runs and 283 yards (!!) on 35 carries in a 46-15 win at Texas A&M. Benson finished the year with 83 yards in the Longhorns’ 28-20 loss to Washington State in the Holiday Bowl.
1,360 yards (No. 7 on UT all-time single-season list) 21 TDs (No. 3 on UT single-season list) as a junior 283 rushing yards vs. Texas A&M are 6th-highest single-game total by a Longhorn 8 HORNS ILLUSTRATED
SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE
ALL PHOTOS IN THIS SPREAD COURTESY TEXAS ATHLETICS PHOTOGRAPHY
9 catches 120 yards
Notable Performance: In one fell swoop Benson bulled his way over and past UT’s former rival, Texas A&M, on his way to the sixth-highest single-game total in school history with 283 yards. In the 46-15 Longhorn win over the Aggies, Benson found paydirt for four touchowns.
SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE HORNS ILLUSTRATED 9
CEDRIC BENSON
Senior Season AS WELL AS Benson ran in his first three seasons on campus, he was even better and more determined in 2004, teaming with one of the most talented group of players in Texas history to help the Longhorns finish 11-1 with a win over Michigan in the Rose Bowl. Benson ran for 188 yards and two touchdowns in the 65-0 season-opening win over North Texas, and added 188 yards and another score in a 22-20 victory at Arkansas in Week 2. Rice posed little resistance on Sept. 25, as Benson’s 189 yards and a touchdown keyed a 35-13 Texas triumph. He had another 188-yard game, this one on 34 carries with three touchdowns, as Texas posted a 44-14 win against Baylor. He then managed 125 (92 rushing, 33 receiving) of the Longhorns’ 240 total yards in a 12-0 loss to Oklahoma in Dallas. That followed with 150 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-20 home victory versus Missouri, and it could have been even more as a 61-yard Benson touchdown run in the game was called back due to holding. Benson’s 168 yards on 38 carries helped propel the Longhorns past Texas Tech 51-21 on Oct. 23, then his 141 yards and two touchdowns on 32 attempts pushed the Longhorns to a 31-7 win at Colorado. Benson’s 141 yards and career-best five touchdowns on 23 carries were too much for Oklahoma State in Week 9, as Texas charged back for a 5121 victory which former Texas head coach Mack Brown often sites as an example of the Longhorns’ never-say-die attitude that season.
10 HORNS ILLUSTRATED
SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE
ALL PHOTOS IN THIS PAGE COURTESY TEXAS ATHLETICS PHOTOGRAPHY
SENIOR YEAR 2004-2005
1,834 rushing yards are 4th All-Time in a season at UT 19 TDs are No. 4 All-Time in UT single-season history 5 TDs in win over Oklahoma State are tied for 3rd All-Time at UT
326 rushes 1,834 yards 5.6 ypc 19 TD
Benson added 161 yards on 28 totes and scored a touchdown as Texas survived 27-23 at Kansas. Then in his final game in Austin, he reeled off 165 yards and a touchdown in the Longhorns’ 26-13 win over Texas A&M, a team he owned during his time at UT. “The first thing I think of when I think of Cedric Benson is consistency,” Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis said after the win versus the Aggies. “He’s played his four years here the same way he played his four years at Midland Lee (High School). He carries the ball 30 times and he puts in a great effort. He’s a warrior.” Texas squared off against Michigan in the Rose Bowl, where Benson did some heavy lifting and helped open up alleyways for quarterback Vince Young. Benson ran for 70 yards on 23 carries in his final college game, a thrilling 38-37 Longhorn win that every fan remembers like it was yesterday as Texas won on Dusty Mangum’s game-winning field goal. “I miss him so much, but know he will always be remembered as a Texas legend and best of all a really good friend that I can tell my kids about,” Texas teammate Derrick Johnson said. “I’m so lucky to have had such a wonderful relationship and so many great memories.”
Notable Performance: Individually speaking, Benson’s monster game against North Texas in the season opener of his senior season was a joy for every admirer of the Burnt Orange. Benson ran for 181 yards on September 4, 2004, averaging an amazing 12 yards per carry to go along with two touchdowns. 12 HORNS ILLUSTRATED
SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE
Benson and the Longhorns celebrate Dusty Mangum’s gamewinning field goal in the 2005 Rose Bowl.
ALL PHOTOS IN THIS PAGE COURTESY TEXAS ATHLETICS PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY
22 catches 179 yards
ALL PHOTOS IN THIS SPREAD COURTESY THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS
IN LOVING
MEMORY
14 HORNS ILLUSTRATED
SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE
SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE HORNS ILLUSTRATED 15
16 HORNS ILLUSTRATED
SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE
ALL PHOTOS IN THIS SPREAD COURTESY THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS
A TEXAS TEAMMATE AND LONGHORN BROTHER IN ARMS MORE THAN A Longhorn legend, Cedric Benson embodied the Lone Star State. Born in Midland, Texas in 1982, Benson touched many Texans, in his hometown, in Austin, and across the state of Texas his entire life. From magazine covers in high school to being drafted into the NFL in 2005 after a legendary career as a Texas Longhorn on the tail of his success at Midland Lee High School, Benson had the eyes of Texas —
Benson with Texas teammate Derrick Johnson (right) and Texas senior associate athletics director John Bianco.
“We talked about our goals and dreams a lot, and leaned on each other during the good times as well as the difficult challenges. Together, we achieved a lot, both as a team and individually. We ultimately both reached our lifelong dream of playing in the NFL and remained close friends. “I loved him like a brother and we had a lot of fun, a ton of laughs, and his spirit will always be in me.”
ALL PHOTOS IN THIS SPREAD COURTESY TEXAS ATHLETICS PHOTOGRAPHY
Benson and former Longhorn linebacker Derrick Johnson.
Texas was in the spotlight plenty during Benson’s tenure. Here he is during a photo shoot with teammates wide receiver Roy Williams (left) and Chris Simms (middle), and all three went on to play in the NFL. 18 HORNS ILLUSTRATED
and the nation — on him since he was a teenager in a small Texas city. Texas teammate and longtime friend, fellow NFL veteran Derrick Johnson loved Benson’s heart and soul as they grew together and achieved lifelong dreams together. “We grew together as teammates and went from being the young freshmen with high expectations to team leaders our senior year in 2004,” Johnson said.
SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE
THE ENTIRE STATE of Texas lost a true free spirit full of support for those he came across. “When I first heard the news I was training some of my elite athletes and I had about 20 missed messages and voicemails all over my phone and didn’t know what was going on. My dad called me and said, ‘Did you hear about Ced?’ and I said, ‘No, what’s happened?’ because you know Ced might have gone and done something else — we all know how Ced was. He loved to live life, let’s put it that way,” former Texas teammate Tim Crowder said. “Dad was like, ‘No, he passed away,’ and I was all like shocked, just reminiscing on the past and things of that nature, and football practice and…after, when we all retired and times we were just hanging out together. I’m still in shock, still in shock over it.” It had been over a year since Crowder and Benson had talked, but the former Longhorn said that was a year too long. “But that’s how a lot of us are. We may not see each other for a year or so and then we meet up at a reunion or something,” he said, “and it’s like we never missed out on anything. We’ll be catching up on stuff, or hanging out at the same places we did when we played here, living out our old Austin glory days.” Crowder came into Texas the same year as Benson, but he was in awe of his fellow freshman because of the aura that surrounded Benson during his incredible high school career. “Ced lived life — that’s all I thought of when he passed. He lived the way he wanted to. The biggest thing about Ced was his attitude — you know everybody who knew Ced personally knew he beat to his own drum,” Crowder said. “I was a young freshman coming in to training camp, and we were both working out in the weight room and I was kind of nervous. You know I’m thinking, ‘That’s Cedric Benson, that’s the man.’ He came up to me and said, ‘Hey man, don’t forget who you are and that you were made to
be this way, so don’t let anybody change who you are.’ I just always took that with me … not just on the football field but trying to live my life that way.” Humor kept Benson connected to teammates throughout his life. “Ced was such a free-spirited guy; he kind of reminded me of a black hippie. He used to wear swim trunks and tank tops every day, and some thong sandals. I always used to mess with him about it. His feet looked like a vampire’s,” Crowder said. “And he would just sit there and give me that smile and that laugh and tell me ‘whatever.’ He would just keep going about his way. He would never change for anybody, and that’s what I respect about him so much.
“If you didn’t know him he was definitely built like a football player and you would immediately know that this was a guy who had some kind of athletic background,” Crowder said, “Once you started hanging with him, you would have no notion that he played football. He was one of those guys that seemed uninterested until it was time to get interested in football. Really, he could separate the two. Off the field he could go to the lake all day and have a blast and then all of a sudden on game day, he was like a whole other guy. He had the focus and the fire in his eyes and it was all about football.” “Then when the game was over, he’d be back to being ‘Cool Ced.’”
Tim Crowder SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE HORNS ILLUSTRATED 19
LIFETIME LONGHORN ROD BABERS saw the connectivity Benson had with the community, the university, the city, the entire Lone Star State, and beyond. “Most of the guys in the Longhorn family were pretty shocked by the news,” Babers said. “Obviously, Ced B was taken from us too soon. You always heard news about Ced B – he was one of those guys who was always looking to do something new or had his fingerprints on something else.” “It was always to try and inspire people — that’s what I remember about Ced B — and not always on the football field with the way he played. He tried to do it in his life, whether he as trying to be a DJ in a club, or talking to people about their mortgage, or helping out with the youth and kids. He was always trying to help people. I miss that about him already.” The veterans on the Texas football team knew of Benson’s abilities before he even got to the Forty Acres, and were eager to welcome him to the team. “The truth is that Ced B was the last piece for us in 2001. I remember on his recruiting visit, Coach Mack Brown told us ‘hey, we gotta get Ced B.’ There were two guys we had to get in that class, Ced B and Derrick Johnson, and we got them both,” Babers said. “I actually helped us get Derrick and Chris Simms hosted Ced
B on his recruiting visit. Chris and I might have been the best recruiters on the team then. Those were the last pieces for us. Those were a national championship (caliber) team based on the roster Mack built after Ced B and Derrick came in. “All the pieces were in place, but we lost two games that year. One was against Oklahoma, which Ced B did not start because Mack was reluctant to start him as a freshman, which I think Mack regrets now. The other was the 2001 Big 12 title game against Colorado in which Ced B was knocked out of the game. One could argue that Ced B was the sparkplug for that 2001 team and if we would have used him a little more and he wouldn’t have been knocked out of the Colorado game, at least we would have played for the national title. I don’t know if we would have won it, but we would have come close.” Benson’s rough on-field running made defenders fear him, and his defensive teammates relish watching him from the Texas sidelines. “I love the way Ced ran the ball,” Babers said. “He had a great lean. He would lean all the time and always fall forward despite the direction from where he was hit. That was brilliant. I don’t know if he perfected that on his
own, he had an even better running back lean than Ricky Williams. It was amazing. “Ced B was tough, and he could run between the tackles or run outside the tackles, and he was faster than people knew, too, especially once he got into the open field. He was an amazing runner and built to play the position, no doubt.”
CED B ENJOYED EVERY BIT OF HIS LIFE AND HE MADE SURE HE LIVED LIFE TO THE FULLEST. – TEXAS TEAMMATE ROD BABERS
“Ced B was fearless — that’s the best way to put it. The fearless way he played on the football field carried over into life off the field. Him getting into some things like a mortgage company is within the realm of possibility for him. He’d just say ‘That’s a challenge. I’ll tackle that. I’m not scared of that.’ I think he lived his life that way. At times that could lead to people judging you for the way you’re living your life, but Ced B enjoyed every bit of his life and he made sure he lived life to the fullest.”
Benson celebrates a play with Texas teammate Will Matthews.
Benson and Texas center Jason Glynn.
Rod Babers
20 HORNS ILLUSTRATED
SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE
ALL PHOTOS IN THIS SPREAD COURTESY TEXAS ATHLETICS PHOTOGRAPHY
The Texas sidelines cheer Benson on a long run.
Aaron Harris
AARON HARRIS, FORMER Longhorn linebacker, often with tears in his eyes, talked about the bonds Benson made with his Texas teammates. “Going against Cedric every day in practice helped me develop a high level of respect for him and his abilities. He was a tough guy and he ran so hard. Once Ced was done in the NFL and I was finished with my stint in NFL Europe, we became even better friends and hung out a lot more,” Harris said. “I was shocked. I woke up to that news (that Benson had passed away). I got a text message from a good friend, a
family friend, of both of ours. It’s so hard to believe, especially knowing how fearless Cedric was — just his spirit and how he approached life, you can’t imagine that that person could pass away.” The layers and levels of conversation Benson loved to have with his friends, teammates — hell anyone he had the pleasure of spending time with — went beyond the football field often. “What I will remember most about Ced is the in-depth conversations we would have, about life and different philosophies and talking about what he was preparing to do in his life,” Harris
“Sally and I are just grief-stricken with Cedric’s passing. He was as good as you’ll ever see as a football player and as tough as they come. But what I’ll remember most is what a special, special person he was. We always enjoyed talking with him because he was such a bright and unique guy. There will never be another one like him, and he will be dearly missed by so many. It’s just heartbreaking, but we feel very fortunate to have had him in our lives.” — Mack Brown, UT football coach 1998-2013
“To my man Cedric B. I remember hearing all of these football stories about you when the Bears drafted you 4th overall. You and I always got along. Even with pads on, if I hit you or you hit me a little harder than usual, it was always followed by an apology, which was followed by a ‘you good.’ You ran all over us when you played for the Bengals. As mad as I was at the way we played that day, I gave you the biggest hug after the game, because I was so damn proud of you.” — Lance Briggs, LB, Benson’s Chicago Bears teammate 2005-2007
“It’s been a rough day for everyone who knew and loved Cedric Benson. Still can’t believe it. He was a great man & an incredible running back. He made me a better football player & for that I am forever grateful. Truly heartbroken over his death. Rest in peace Ced. We love you.” — Thomas Jones, RB, Benson’s Chicago Bears’ teammate 2005-2006 “Very sad day. Just got word that my boy CB passed away. Our prayers are with his family. You will be missed.” — Donald Driver, WR, Benson’s Green Bay Packers teammate 2012
said. “Sometimes we would just have conversations about the atmosphere or what we thought about God and religion, things most people would not associate with Cedric. “Nobody ran as hard as him, and for so long. And we depended on him. He was a workhorse, the definition of that term as it’s used for a running back. I’d ask him ‘Ced, why are you so good?’ you know, just to know. He said, ‘When a guy was coming at me, I’d try to find his weak spot and try to get him off balance.’ He was always attacking. Even though he was a running back getting hit, he was the one delivering the blow. He never went backwards when he was being tackled, as a linebacker, I especially was respectful of that. He always made two or three extra yards after being hit.”
conversations. Love and prayers to his family and friends. Thanks CB for the inspiration. You will be missed.” — Aaron Rodgers, QB, Benson’s Green Bay Packers teammate 2012
“RIP to one of the greatest to have played for the University of Texas.” — Ricky Williams, RB, University of Texas 1995-1998, NFL 1999-2011
“The first time I saw Cedric Benson, he was a sophomore at Midland Lee and we would compete against each other in the third round of the Texas High school playoffs at Angelo State University. Little did I know that I was witnessing the birth of one of the best running backs in Texas high school football. I’m honored to have had the privilege of being your teammate. Please keep the Benson family in your prayers.” — Charles “Peanut” Tillman, DB, Benson’s Chicago Bears teammate 2005-2007
“Very sad news today to hear of the passing of my friend and former teammate Cedric Benson. Ced and I became fast friends during his short stay in Green Bay, and would spend many lunch hours in the cafeteria talking about life and football. Ced was very smart and thoughtful and I always walked away from our conversations feeling like I learned something or wanted to go research something so that I could keep up with him in our
“It’s an unbelievably sad day with the news of the passing of Cedric Benson. We lost a true Longhorn Legend, one of the best running backs in college football history and a really special man. He was far too young, and my heart aches for his family, friends and the entire Longhorn community. Our thoughts and prayers are with them all.” — Tom Herman, UT football coach 2017-present
WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT CED
SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE HORNS ILLUSTRATED 21
SOURCE: TWITTER, INSTAGRAM
Benson with former Texas coach Mack Brown and fellow Longhorn legend Ricky Williams.
Benson and John Bianco.
BEHIND THE SCENES and by Benson’s side throughout his four years at the University of Texas was John Bianco, the Longhorn’s Senior Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations. The two grew close during their time together, sharing laughs and life lessons along the way. Bianco reflected on Longhorn Legend Cedric Benson: “Cedric Benson was one of the best running backs in college football history and is a Longhorn legend in every way. I have so many fond memories of watching him compete and the passion, drive and determination he played with. He had an awesome combination of speed and power and was as tough as they come. Cedric was a great leader, too, and a guy who would put the team on his back and do whatever it took to lead them to victory. He absolutely loved being a Longhorn and left it all on the field every game. His legacy as a player and the way he played will never be forgotten.” “But what I’ll remember most about Cedric is his warm, friendly, inviting smile, his laugh and how he genuinely cared about people. He was so smart, thoughtful and just loved life. He was a deep thinker with unique perspective. Cedric rarely talked about football away from the field and we had many conversations that made me think, wonder, seek knowledge and approach things differently. He made me smile and laugh a lot, too. If you were lucky enough to really know Cedric, you were better for it. I know personally, he made me better at everything I do. He was a great person, a friend, and I miss him so much but know I am blessed to have had him in my life.” — John Bianco
Benson and John Bianco shared a lot of memories at UT. 22 HORNS ILLUSTRATED
SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE
ALL PHOTOS IN THIS SPREAD COURTESY TEXAS ATHLETICS PHOTOGRAPHY
BENSON & BIANCO’S BOND GOES BEYOND THE FIELD
HIGH SCHOOL & NFL CAREER
COURTESY DAVE CAMPBELL’S TEXAS FOOTBALL, TEXAS ATHLETICS PHOTOGRAPHY
Cedric was the biggest deal in high school Texas football, and that’s really saying something. Benson won three state championships running for Midland Lee and racked up 8,418 yards from 1997-2000, which is eighth all-time and the 3,526 yards he ran for in 1999 is also eighth all-time in Texas high school football history. And he was the first-ever high school football player to appear on the cover of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football.
Benson hung up his cleats after playing five games for the Green Bay Packers in 2012. Following his retirement, Benson created his charitable foundation NUFCED (Nurturing Underprivileged Families & Cultivating Educational Development) to aid underprivileged children and families. NUFCED provided educational scholarships, and rebuilt a home for a victim of the 2018 Austin bombings. The organization will continue working to help underserved communities, encouraging and inspiring youth, coaching them to work hard, overcome obstacles, make positive choices and live fulfilling lives in Benson’s honor.
Selected third overall by the Chicago Bears in the 2005 NFL Draft, Benson played eight years in the NFL (2005-12). He rushed for more than 1,000 yards three times (2009-11 with Cincinnati) and ended his career with 6,017 rushing yards with the Bengals, Bears and Green Bay Packers.
Benson enjoys a moment with Longhorn legends turned pro after a Cincinnati Bengals-Miami Dolphins game on Oct. 31, 2010, with Ricky Williams (center) and Texas-exes turned NFL teammates (l-r) on the Bengals Jordan Shipley, Roddrick Muckelroy and Quan Cosby. SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE HORNS ILLUSTRATED 23
2014 UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HALL OF HONOR INDUCTEE
ALL PHOTOS IN THIS PAGE COURTESY TEXAS ATHLETICS PHOTOGRAPHY
TEXAS LONGHORNS
24 HORNS ILLUSTRATED
SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE