Former Chicago Bear Cedric Benson Has Died at 36
Former Chicago Bears running back and Texas Longhorns legend Cedric Benson has reportedly died in a motorcycle accident in Austin, Texas that also claimed the life of an unnamed woman.
The first official word of the accident came from Benson’s brother, Dominic, who posted the following on Facebook.
Cedric Benson's brother posted to confirm the news about his brother. It was reportedly a motorcycle accident in Austin, Texas. pic.twitter.com/EL3saAn77D
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 18, 2019
CBS Austin reported a crash occurred at 10:22 pm between a motorcycle and a minivan on Mount Bonnell Road, with two people killed. Here’s the tweet from the Austin-Travis County EMS.
FINAL: Auto v Motorcycle at ~5600 blk Mount Bonnell Rd; #ATCEMSMedics advising 4 total patients - 2 adult patients, ~30's Male & 30's Female declared Deceased On Scene & 2 adult patients with non-life-threatening injuries will be non-transports. Expect extended road closures.
— ATCEMS (@ATCEMS) August 18, 2019
Benson rose to prominence at the University of Texas, where he finished as the sixth-leading rusher in NCAA history with 5,540 rushing yards, and the second-leading rusher in Texas history, trailing only Ricky Williams. In his senior year, he won the 2004 Doak Walker Award and, along with quarterback Vince Young, led the Longhorns to victory in the Rose Bowl over the Michigan Wolverines.
The Chicago Bears took Benson with the fourth pick in the 2005 draft. While he never quite panned out during his three-year stint in the Windy City, he did play in Super Bowl XLI. Greater individual success awaited him as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals, where he put up three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 2009-2011. After moving on to the Green Bay Packers in 2012, a Lisfranc fracture to his foot derailed his career, and that season would be his last in the NFL.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.