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Cedric Benson, one of the most highly touted running backs in Texas history and former NFL pro, died overnight on Sunday following a motorcycle crash in Austin. He was 36.

KUVE in Austin reports that Benson and another woman in her 30s were on a motorcycle when a minivan pulled out of a crossroad and struck them as they were driving by. Both Benson and the woman died at the scene. Benson’s death was confirmed by his brother Dominick, who wrote a grief-stricken post on Facebook.

Among the annals of Texas high school football, there were few running backs better or seemed more mythical than Benson. At Midland Lee, Benson ran for over 8,000 yards, leading the program to three state titles in the process. He then went on to play for the University of Texas, collecting four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s best running back in 2004.

Texas A&M University Aggies v University of Texas Longhorns

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In 2005, Benson was drafted fourth overall by the Chicago Bears and played in Super Bowl XLI against the Indianapolis Colts. Two years later, Benson was part of the Cincinnati Bengals where over the course of four seasons, he ran for 4,100+ yards and scored 21 touchdowns. He finished his career in 2012 with the Green Bay Packers.

 

Cedric Benson, Former UT, Texas High School Football Legend Dead At 36  was originally published on theboxhouston.com