Cedric Benson was one of most accomplished running backs in Texas history. He attended Robert E. Lee High School in Midland where he led his team to three consecutive 5A state titles from 1998-2000. Benson finished his career with 8,423 rushing yards; the most in Texas 5A history which was the largest classification at the time. He currently ranks 8th on the Texas high school football career rushing list. In 2000, he became the first high school player to be featured on the cover of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine.
One of the most coveted high school recruits in the nation Benson chose the University of Texas and in 2001 rushed for over 1,000 yards as a freshman. As a sophomore, he led the nation in rushing yards and finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting. Benson became the first Longhorn to rush for over 1,000 yards in four consecutive seasons. He finished his college career with 5,540 rushing yards and 64 touchdowns. Benson’s accolades include being named three-time First-team All-American, Three-time First-team All-Big 12 and 2004 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. In 2004 he also won the Doak Walker Award, given each year to the nation’s top running back.
Following his illustrious college career, Benson was selected fourth overall in the 2005 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. He played eight seasons in the NFL with the Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, and Green Bay Packers. He retired in 2012 with 6,017 career rushing yards and 32 touchdowns. Benson was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2025.
