AUSTIN, TEXAS – Former NFL running back Cedric Benson, one of the most prolific rushers in NCAA and University of Texas history, died in a motorcycle accident in Texas. He was 36.
Austin law enforcement said Benson was killed in the wreck Saturday night. No details were available.
Benson was a key player in the Longhorns' resurgence under coach Mack Brown, who said that Benson's death has left him grief-stricken.
"He was as good as you'll ever see as a football player and as tough as they come," said Brown, who recently returned to coach North Carolina following a long run at Texas. "But what I'll remember most is what a special, special person he was."
Benson played at Texas from 2001-2004 and his 5,540 yards rank second at the university and ninth in NCAA history. He won the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation's top running back, in 2004.
Benson was drafted No. 4 overall by the Bears in 2005 and helped Chicago reach the playoffs the following season. He had his finest years with Cincinnati from 2008-11. He ran for a career-high 1,251 yards, the first of three straight 1,000-yard seasons. Benson played one season with Green Bay, where he started the first five games in 2012 before suffering a season-ending Lisfranc fracture in Indianapolis on Oct. 17.
Benson finished with 6,017 yards (3.8-yard average) and 46 touchdowns in his career.
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