Former Bengals RB Cedric Benson passes away

Former Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson passed away this weekend. He was 36 years old.

Benson’s attorney, Sam Bassett, announced Sunday morning that law enforcement determined Benson was killed in a motorcycle crash Saturday night in Texas.

Bassett also issued the following statement on Benson’s passing:

“Cedric was not just a client. He was my friend. He was immensely talented and fierce on the football field, yet most have no idea the difficulties he overcame to achieve what he did. Though imperfect in some respects, once Cedric was your friend, you understood how kind, sensitive and loyal he was as a man. He was like a younger brother or nephew to me. I will miss him very much.”

During his eight-year NFL career from 2005-12, Benson played with the Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, and Green Bay Packers.

The Bears selected Benson with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft after a standout career with the Texas Longhorns. He finished his college career with 1,112 runs for 5,540 yards and 64 touchdowns.

After being cut by the Bears in 2008, Benson would sign with the Bengals on September 30, 2008. He would go on to become the Bengals’ top running back from 2008-2011.

During his time in Cincinnati, Benson recorded 1109 runs for 4176 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also caught 80 passes for 556 yards and one score while helping the Bengals reach the playoffs twice in his four-year stay in the Queen City.

After becoming a free agent, Benson would sign with the Packers in 2012, which would be his final season in the NFL. He finished his career with 1,600 carries for 6,017 yards and 32 touchdowns.

On behalf of everyone here at Cincy Jungle, our thoughts and prayers go out to Benson and his family.