Cedric Benson
A powerful, workhorse running back who rushed for over 6,000 NFL yards, carrying the load for multiple teams with relentless determination.
1982–2019 (age 37)·American football player·Birthday: December 28·Millennials
Biography
Cedric Benson's football story was one of prodigious talent meeting unwavering persistence. At the University of Texas, he was a colossus, leaving as the school's all-time leading rusher and winning the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back. Drafted fourth overall by the Chicago Bears, his early professional years were marked by a public clash of styles with the team's management, a struggle that obscured his pure ability. It was in Cincinnati where he truly found his NFL footing. As the bell-cow for the Bengals, Benson delivered three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, his north-south, physical running style defining the team's offensive identity. He punished defenders, consistently finishing runs by falling forward. His career, which also included a stint in Green Bay, was a testament to a classic, between-the-tackles runner's durability and heart in a league increasingly shifting away from that mold.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Cedric was born in 1982, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Cedric Was Born
The biggest hits of 1982
#1 Movie
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Best Picture
Gandhi
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Cedric's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1982Born
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1987Started school
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1995Became a teenager
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Could drive
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2000Could vote
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2003Turned 21
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2012Turned 30
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2019Died at 37
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
Key Achievements
- Rushed for 1,251 yards in the 2009 season, leading the Cincinnati Bengals to the AFC North division title.
- Recorded three consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2009 to 2011.
- Won the Doak Walker Award in 2004 as the nation's top college running back while at the University of Texas.
- Finished his collegiate career as the University of Texas's all-time leading rusher with 5,540 yards.
Did You Know?
In high school in Midland, Texas, he rushed for 8,423 yards, a national record at the time.
He was a standout baseball player in high school and was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2001 MLB draft.
Benson and his Longhorns teammate, quarterback Vince Young, were both top-five picks in the 2005 NFL Draft.
“I kept getting up, no matter how many times they hit me.”
