GREEN BAY – Cedric Benson, the fourth pick in the 2005 NFL Draft who played his final season with the Packers in 2012, died in a motorcycle accident on Saturday night. He was 36.
After a successful career at the University of Texas, Benson played eight NFL seasons over his time with the Chicago Bears (2005-07), Cincinnati Bengals (2008-11) and the Packers.
Signed midway through training camp in 2012, Benson went on to start the first five games for Green Bay at running back before suffering a Lisfranc fracture in Indianapolis on Oct. 17, 2012.
The Packers designated Benson to return from injured reserve later in the season, but the injury proved to be season-ending. He rushed for 248 yards and a touchdown on 71 carries, and caught 14 passes for 97 yards in five games with Green Bay.
A native of Midland, Texas, Benson won three high-school state championships in football and was a four-year starter for the Longhorns, amassing 5,540 rushing yards and 64 touchdowns on 1,112 carries (5.0 avg.). In eight NFL seasons, he rushed for 6,017 yards and 32 TDs on 1,600 carries (3.8 yards per carry).
