Cedric Benson was tragically killed last night in a motorcycle accident. The fatal crash occurred at the 2222 and Mount Bonnell intersection here in Austin. An already incredibly dangerous road, even if you’re driving a car in broad daylight.
Absolutely devastating.
Just this past week I wrote about his high school days and how he had played in one of the all-time Texas HS football State Championships in 2000, when Westlake squared off against Midland Lee. In that game Cedric ran for 255 and 5 TDs, beating Westlake 33-21. Huston Street played for Westlake at the time and was the ONLY person on Westlake who could tackle Cedric, putting up 17 tackles as a free safety.
Pretty deep track stats but to me it will always stand out as one of the greatest games I ever watched live. The footage is shitty but here’s a clip from the actual game.
He carried this momentum into his freshman year at UT where he won Big12 Offensive Freshman Of The Year.
Although Texas was in a rebuilding phase during a lot of Cedric’s time in Austin (before VY came, his QBs were Chris Simms and Chance Mock) it did not stop Cedric from having an incredible, successful career, racking up over 5,500 yards and 64 TDs. He always played the game with such passion and vengeance. Just refusing to ever go down.
That dominance on the field made him a 1st round pick in 2005, being selected 4th overall by the Chicago Bears.
He ended up playing in the league for eight years, having a very solid and productive career, running for over 6,000 yards and playing in the 2006 Super Bowl game. By the time he retired, he had played for the Bears, Bengals and Packers.
Cedric’s post career struggles are documented but at the end of the day this is a man who gave everything he had to this city during his time here in Austin. I don’t think you’ll find a teammate or coach who disagrees.
By all accounts too he was not just a great teammate but a guy who truly cared about his family and friends.
It seems he and UT had some sort of falling out, as he hasn’t been around the program or at games. But he deserves a dedication/ceremony fit for a king and I hope UT does that. An absolute Longhorn legend that will never and should never be forgotten.
Thoughts and prayers are with his family. Rest In Peace, Cedric.
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