I don't know the circumstances, the curves, the hills or the visibility but given all that, if the van looked, pulled out and then suddenly a motorcycle appears going 100 mph then it's very possible the van driver did nothing wrong.
It appears Cedric Benson has passed
- Thread starter Joe Fan
- Start date
I don't know the circumstances, the curves, the hills or the visibility but given all that, if the van looked, pulled out and then suddenly a motorcycle appears going 100 mph then it's very possible the van driver did nothing wrong.
AC
2,500+ Posts
I was afraid or suspicious that the Motorcycle was going very fast to explode like that on impact. That only happens when the gas tank is ripped open and the impact had to have been extreme for that to happen. I have inspected metal for corrosion and abrasion wear most of my career in Oil and Gas and Motorcycle Gas Tanks are made to take a beating. Rest in eternal peace Ced and Aamna.
It's possible that the police determined the minivan driver did look and didn't see anything because the motorcycle was out of view and the motorcycle was going too fast for the road conditions. There was a case like that in a DD course I took once and the vehicle going to fast got cited, not the person pulling out. In fact back when I was a student I was turning left from PV onto Riverside I damn near got hit by one of those fiero things because it has such a low profile below the horizon and was also about 20 mph over the speed limit.
In reference to several comments about the possibility of high speed, it's all over the sports shows here in Austin that high speed was a big factor and one of the reasons for the fire/explosion.
Besides that this is horrible and it's Ced, as a rider I hate hearing this sort of terrible stuff. Sad, sad ,sad....
In regards to videos taken, why the **** is someone taking video instead of trying to help?? Then it's sold to TMZ?!? How can any human do something like that for profit?
Besides that this is horrible and it's Ced, as a rider I hate hearing this sort of terrible stuff. Sad, sad ,sad....
In regards to videos taken, why the **** is someone taking video instead of trying to help?? Then it's sold to TMZ?!? How can any human do something like that for profit?
MajesticII
1,000+ Posts
I never saw a video, so don't have facts.........One can only hope the ones doing the video saw that others with far better capability to HELP were doing so, and they figured they would video to aid the authorities in investigating the accident..... Now, if they sold this video, then ....shame on them.
BurntOrangeLH
2,500+ Posts
I live not far from the scene. It is not a section of road that one wants to travel even in a car at a high rate of speed. Even on a motorcycle, it would be difficult to exceed the speed limit of 45 mph by 20 mph. Regardless, given conditions and sight lines, there is no excuse for the driver of the minivan not to see have seen the headlight of the oncoming motorcycle unless it was switched off.
There seems to be a lot of FUD perpetuated by APD about "excessive speed" and "low visibility," the latter of which is absolutely hogwash. I imagine the BMW motorcycle has a memory chip that records operating parameters.
BurntOrangeLH
2,500+ Posts
The TMZ video was obviously taken well after the accident from a distance prescribed by on scene emergency workers. One of Ced's friends lives at the location and heard the crash inside his home and went outside to observe the response not knowing who was involved.
In 1969 when I was 14 years old the star athlete of our junior high school football team was killed tragically in a vehicular accident when a convertible sports car in which he was riding driven by an older boy overturned going at a high rate of speed. Mike was killed, and our school was just devastated. He was the most beautiful athlete I have ever known personally. Just freakishly quick and fast, had a short torso and long legs with a shock of curly blonde hair. He was super popular, but despite this was friendly to all and generous. Fifty years later, I still remember him and mourn his passing at such a young age. This accident reminds me of that one; that someone seemingly so much bigger than life can be taken away so suddenly. Just a terrible, terrible deal. God rest his soul.
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Headlights for BMW's, and I think just about any street motorcycle built since 1998 do not turn off, unless the bike was altered and I certainly doubt that.
Since many are weighing in on stories about cycles.
In Jr. High my Dad forbid me from having a motorcycle after a good friend of mine was in a bad cycle accident. At the time, I wasn't happy about it but years later I recall thinking it was probably a good idea, as I was & am a bit of a risk taker. Parachuted a few times, other stuff.
Anyway, the other story is more recent. About 2 years ago driving home from office on major freeway in DFW a motorcyclist flew by me, weaving in and out of a large cluster of fast moving cars, including the shoulder of the road until he was out of site. I estimated at times he was traveling about 90 - 100 mph . About 10 minutes later I got into an enormous backup with emergency vehicles screaming to get by. As we inched past the accident, sure enough that bike was down in the outside lane, a twisted mess of metal with large puddle of fuel or coolant the firemen had sprayed down. Not sure if he was hit or he hit some vehicle. Rider's body was gone by the time I passed. An awful scene and a lost life...
In Jr. High my Dad forbid me from having a motorcycle after a good friend of mine was in a bad cycle accident. At the time, I wasn't happy about it but years later I recall thinking it was probably a good idea, as I was & am a bit of a risk taker. Parachuted a few times, other stuff.
Anyway, the other story is more recent. About 2 years ago driving home from office on major freeway in DFW a motorcyclist flew by me, weaving in and out of a large cluster of fast moving cars, including the shoulder of the road until he was out of site. I estimated at times he was traveling about 90 - 100 mph . About 10 minutes later I got into an enormous backup with emergency vehicles screaming to get by. As we inched past the accident, sure enough that bike was down in the outside lane, a twisted mess of metal with large puddle of fuel or coolant the firemen had sprayed down. Not sure if he was hit or he hit some vehicle. Rider's body was gone by the time I passed. An awful scene and a lost life...
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Austin_Bill
2,500+ Posts
TMZ specifically said, (and did so as if they were proud of it) that the film they had was taken before emergency crews arrived.
I am proud of one thing. That many people came running in to help. It didn't change anything for Ced and the young girl, but I'm extremely happy we still have caring people who run to the aid of those in need.
2002 game against UNC on LHN now. Boy, fun to watch Benson in his prime running all over them, literally.
The way ESPN and LHN have been scheduling the programming lately, I shouldn't be surprised they aren't showing a barrage of Benson games.
However, for those interested, LHN has the 2003 Texas-Texas A&M game. Quick write up on DirecTV says he ran for 283 yards in that game.
However, for those interested, LHN has the 2003 Texas-Texas A&M game. Quick write up on DirecTV says he ran for 283 yards in that game.
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Statalyzer
10,000+ Posts
I know we need to move on from this thread soon, but had to share this article about lovely Aamna.
I think the problem that is made apparent during a fatality is how we are to honor and respect those who pass while at the same time conducting a post-mortem to see if we can learn something from their demise. The truth can shed a negative light on the deceased and there is a time and a place for it.
Everyone knows the risks inherent in riding a motorcycle and driving at high speeds in any vehicle. I'm not in need of a lesson here. But would a parent wish to point to an actual fatality in order to teach their child a lesson or is it good enough to say you need to be careful?
Everyone knows the risks inherent in riding a motorcycle and driving at high speeds in any vehicle. I'm not in need of a lesson here. But would a parent wish to point to an actual fatality in order to teach their child a lesson or is it good enough to say you need to be careful?
Statalyzer
10,000+ Posts
There is a great story from Ced's Midland Lee coach:
Against a game in 2000 against Odessa
"“Coach, give me some help,” Midland Lee coach John Parchman recalled Benson saying. “I can’t do this all by myself.
“Why not?” Parchman asked. “The great ones do.
Parchman turned and walked away as his star running back processed their brief exchange.
“Cedric followed me. He came up and said, ‘Coach, you’re right. I’ll do whatever you want me to do. I’ll carry the ball every play if you want me to,’ ” Parchman said.
“It was one of those moments in a relationship. We looked at each other, and Cedric said, ‘Coach, I won’t complain anymore. I’ll just carry the ball.
But in 2000, our tank was almost empty. We had Cedric Benson and not much else.
In the 2000 5A Division I state championship game, fans at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium -- as well as the coaches and players from Midland Lee and Austin Westlake -- knew Benson was going to carry on almost every play. He took the ball 40 times, gained 246 yards and scored all five of the Rebels’ touchdowns in a 33-21 decision that gave Midland Lee its third consecutive title.
“At one point, we ran a sweep with Cedric, and they (Westlake) stopped it for a short gain," Parchman said. "Cedric signaled for me to run the same play again. Right or wrong, I called that same play seven more times in a row. He scored on the seventh time.
“He came to the sideline, snot hanging out of his nose, and said, ‘Coach, I signaled you to run that play again — not to keep running it.’
“I looked at Cedric and said, ‘I didn’t think it would take you seven times to score.’ ”
Cedric Benson's ex-coach remembers star RB, who was killed in crash
Against a game in 2000 against Odessa
"“Coach, give me some help,” Midland Lee coach John Parchman recalled Benson saying. “I can’t do this all by myself.
“Why not?” Parchman asked. “The great ones do.
Parchman turned and walked away as his star running back processed their brief exchange.
“Cedric followed me. He came up and said, ‘Coach, you’re right. I’ll do whatever you want me to do. I’ll carry the ball every play if you want me to,’ ” Parchman said.
“It was one of those moments in a relationship. We looked at each other, and Cedric said, ‘Coach, I won’t complain anymore. I’ll just carry the ball.
But in 2000, our tank was almost empty. We had Cedric Benson and not much else.
In the 2000 5A Division I state championship game, fans at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium -- as well as the coaches and players from Midland Lee and Austin Westlake -- knew Benson was going to carry on almost every play. He took the ball 40 times, gained 246 yards and scored all five of the Rebels’ touchdowns in a 33-21 decision that gave Midland Lee its third consecutive title.
“At one point, we ran a sweep with Cedric, and they (Westlake) stopped it for a short gain," Parchman said. "Cedric signaled for me to run the same play again. Right or wrong, I called that same play seven more times in a row. He scored on the seventh time.
“He came to the sideline, snot hanging out of his nose, and said, ‘Coach, I signaled you to run that play again — not to keep running it.’
“I looked at Cedric and said, ‘I didn’t think it would take you seven times to score.’ ”
Cedric Benson's ex-coach remembers star RB, who was killed in crash
In a state where gridiron legends become synonymous with their hometowns, the mere mention of Cedric Benson immediately brings Midland to mind.
Benson brought the spotlight to the Tall City just like Earl Campbell did for Tyler, Eric Dickerson for Sealy and Adrian Peterson for Palestine. Midland was the state’s focal point in high school football during a three-year span (1998-2000) in large part because of Benson, who as a running back guided Lee to three consecutive Class 5A state titles.
Benson rushed for 8,418 career yards, which ranked third all-time in state history at the time of his graduation. His 127 touchdowns scored was one short of the state record when his Rebel career ended.
Benson still to this day is the only high school football player to appear on the cover of Dave Campbell’s Football annual. Many locals refer to Grande Communications Stadium, which opened in 2002, as “the house that Cedric Benson built.”
After Lee, he continued to build on his gridiron legend status by capturing the Doak Walker Award during an All-American career at the University of Texas and playing eight years in the NFL.
But on a late Aug. 17 night in Austin, Midland lost its beloved football icon when Benson and his passenger, Dr. Aamna Najam, were tragically killed in a motorcycle accident. Benson was only 36, leaving behind his daughter Nadine.
This past week the residents of this city mourned Benson’s passing; he was a sporting giant that seemed larger than life in some ways. But for the coaches and players that knew Benson best, they remembered him for his infectious smile and kindness toward others.
“He’s a very special person to me,” said Jon Rogers, Lee’s quarterback in 1998-99. “He had so much love in his heart.”
The Reporter-Telegram asked the people who knew Benson to share their favorite memories.
CEDRIC MAKES
1ST IMPRESSION
Eighth-grade football in the fall of 1996 was a foreshadowing of Lee’s eventual football dynasty.
That autumn, Lee’s two feeder programs – Alamo Junior High and Abell Junior High – were clearly the two top teams in the eighth-grade district that comprised both Midland ISD and Ector County ISD. Alamo and Abell clashed in a matchup, which drew then-Lee head football coach John Parchman out to Alamo to witness the showdown. Benson played for Abell.
“There were no stands over there and there were two or three thousand people there to watch an eighth grade football game,” Parchman said. “That’s when I first watched (Cedric) and I said ‘Dang, this kid is something else.’ That game in particular was a big game between the two Lee junior highs and there was a lot of interest there and he was the star of the game.”
One year later, Benson was the dominant player in the freshman district before earning a varsity roster spot on the Rebels to start his sophomore season in 1997. However, Benson came off the bench in the early part of the year, playing behind a junior that started at running back.
Around the 1/3 part of the regular season, the starting tailback suffered a sprained ankle, which vaulted Benson into the starting spot. A few weeks later, the junior recovered, but Benson remained entrenched as starter, reminiscent of Lou Gehrig taking over for Wally Pipp as New York Yankees’ first baseman.
“It was one of those deals where we thought he might be the best one, but he was just a sophomore and we were afraid,” Parchman said. “Sometimes if you throw a sophomore into 6A varsity football before he’s ready, sometimes it does more harm than good, so in a way, it was good that he didn’t have to start out with all that pressure on him. He got two or three games to kind of get his sea legs under him and after that, it was his show.”
Despite beginning the year as a reserve, Benson went on to finish the 1998 campaign with 2,026 rushing yards.
THE RUN AT
TEXAS STADIUM
In its 1998 state championship run, Lee won handily in all but one of its six wins.
That one game occurred in the state quarterfinal against South Grand Prairie at Texas Stadium in Irving. With the Rebels clinging to a one-score lead, Lee was backed up deep in its own territory during a crucial moment in the second half.
“The other coaches were in the press box and we were nervous because it’s a tight ballgame,” Rebels long-time assistant coach Scott Hicks said. “I just remember one of the coaches going, ‘He’s going to go any moment; he’s going to go.’ We ran — I think — ‘Toss 48,’ and I think if he didn’t find that little seam, we wouldn’t have blown that game wide open. He took it, I think, 80, 85, 90 yards. From that point on, it was like we’re never out of it. In any close ballgame, we’re going to win because we have ‘that guy.’ ‘That guy’ can change that game in a second.”
Benson broke loose officially on a 95-yard scoring run to propel Lee to a 20-7 victory over South Grand Prairie.
“It busted the game wide open,” Rogers said. “I remember running downfield 80 yards and meeting him in the end zone and jumping on him. That was like the first time he did something there that kind of just broke the game away. Being in the playoffs, that, for some reason, just stands out with me.”
The Rebels wound up walloping San Antonio MacArthur, 54-0, for their first state championship in school history. MacArthur, infamously, played the game on short notice after turning in their equipment after Katy was disqualified due to using an ineligible player.
Benson’s famous run against South Grand Prairie didn’t come by accident, though; it was a moment that he prepared for in practice every time.
“I would run the (scout team) defense and every time he would get the ball, Cedric would run to the end zone,” Hicks said. “It didn’t matter where we were on the field when they were practicing, he would run to the end zone. He was running back one time and I said, ‘Hey, Cedric, why do you run to the end zone every time?’ He just looked at me and he said, ‘Because every time I get the ball, I expect I’m going to score a touchdown.’
“I said, ‘Wow’. What a deal. He just had a tremendous work ethic and self-confidence. He wasn’t arrogant, but he had self confidence that was just exceptional. He was just a lot of fun to watch and a lot of fun to be around.”
While Benson had three career scampers for 93 yards or more, former Lee secondary coach Mike Meeks said his shorter runs were even memorable.
“I always thought his best carries were 4, 5 and 6 yards,” said Meeks, who is now Executive Director of Athletics for Lubbock ISD. “The things he did to pick up 4, 5 and 6 yards were simply amazing. The great vision, the great lateral movement, being physical to defeat the first tackler. He had a great feel for the game.”
BENSON MORPHS
INTO LEE’S LEADER
One of Parchman’s fondest memories of Benson occurred in a district game at Ratliff Stadium even though the coach can’t recall if it was against Permian or Odessa High.
Parchman believed it was the juncture when Benson transformed himself into the team’s unequivocal leader.
“It was at halftime and things weren’t going that well and he came up and said, ‘Coach, I’ve got to have some help. I can’t do this all by myself,’” Parchman said. “I turned to him and said, ‘Why not? Why can’t you do it all by yourself? The great ones do.’ I was pretty gruff with him. I wasn’t happy, either; things weren’t going well. And so he turned and kind of walked away and then about 30 seconds later, he comes back and says, ‘You’re right. I will do it. I will do whatever you want me to do. I will carry it every play if you want me to carry it. Let’s go and let’s kick their ***.’
“It was kind of a turning point, I think, at how he looked at himself. If he wanted to be one of the great ones, then he had to carry the load sometimes when nobody else could and that was a turning point for him and for us. That’s the single moment that stands out in my mind.”
Rogers said Benson brought a presence to the Lee offensive huddle. When Cedric spoke, the other players paid close attention to what he had to say and responded.
“Especially on the field, Cedric had a business-like sense about him,” Rogers said. “We knew that anytime that he spoke up, it could be even a little thing like, ‘Let’s go, it’s time to score a touchdown. Pick it up.’ Anything. We knew that we needed to just follow right behind him and make it happen. He was that kind of leader.”
In 1999, Benson enjoyed his best season as a Rebel, rushing for 3,526 yards, which was the fourth all-time total in state history at the time. He also scored 51 TDs and eclipsed the 300-yard rushing total in four games, which included a 353-yard effort in a 34-22 win over rival Odessa Permian.
Benson wasn’t a quarterback, but he was the rare running back treated like one in practices, as he was off-limits when it came to contact.
“The way Coach Parchman had it, we don’t hit Ced,” former Lee and Texas Tech defensive lineman Fred Thwreatt said. “You know how some teams, the quarterback has an oft-colored jersey. You don’t hit him, don’t touch him. With Ced, he had the same normal color jersey, but we knew to not touch him. I got in trouble one time by tackling him.”
The height of Benson’s high school popularity came prior to his senior season after the tailback guided the Rebels to a 15-0 record and their second straight state title with a 42-21 win over Aldine Eisenhower in Austin. Benson was being inundated by a myriad of interview requests from media outlets. Parchman approached Benson about his concern that other hard working Rebel players weren’t getting their due. Cedric agreed.
“He said, ‘Coach, I’ll tell you what I want to do. I don’t want to do any more interviews for the rest of the year, maybe when we get in the playoffs,’” Parchman said. “‘I’ve already given interviews and already had my name on the cover of the magazine, been on TV. I don’t have to have that. You’re exactly right, let’s get those other guys out there.’
“That speaks a great deal about what kind of guy he was. I think we agreed that each TV station could talk to him one time during the season and I let them pick when they wanted to do it. But the rest of the time, the recognition went to the other fellas and I think everybody appreciated that. That’s who Cedric Benson was. It wasn’t all about him all the time.”
Benson capped off his high school football career by propelling Lee to a 33-21 win over Austin Westlake in the Class 5A state championship at Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium in Austin. Benson rushed 40 times for 246 yards and five TDs in his Rebel swan song.
Long-time Lee football supporter Larry Hall remembered the game most for Benson’s head-on collisions with Westlake defensive back Huston Street, who went on to record 324 career saves as a pitcher in a 13-year major league career. The two coincidentally would go on to compete at Texas, albeit in different sports.
“That was very memorable,” Hall said. “Huston Street kept coming at him and Cedric kept going. It was a good battle.”
CED KNOWS
BASEBALL TOO
One can only imagine what Benson could have accomplished as a baseball player had he committed to the sport full-time.
The Lee center fielder impressed enough on the diamond to get selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 12th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball amateur draft.
“I saw Bo Jackson play and this guy has the same kind of ability as Bo Jackson did when was playing both sports,” former Rebels baseball coach Jesse Benavidez said. “He could probably do the same thing. He’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime athletes that comes through because he had so much speed. Cedric had always told me that baseball was his first love and that’s what he wanted to play when he was a kid, even though he excelled so much at football. With the speed and the agility to go get the ball in the outfield and be able to throw it and hit for power, it was something special.”
Benavidez said Benson excelled in baseball because he gave everything he had just like he did on the gridiron. In 2000, Benavidez recalled Benson getting ejected in Game 1 of the best-of-three Class 5A regional quarterfinal series against Lubbock High. The fans were riding Benson, and he got discouraged in a 7-5 loss.
The next day, Benson was on a mission to help the Rebels bounce back from a 1-0 deficit, and ended up hitting a walk-off home run during a 4-3 victory in the series’ deciding game.
“The following game when we came back and played again, you could tell that he was ready,” Benavidez said. “I could just tell, he was hitting everything.”
Benavidez recalls that Benson received a $50,000 signing bonus from the Dodgers, and that the baseball organization paid for his tuition in his initial year at UT. As a 19-year-old, Benson hit .200 with three doubles, two triples, two RBI, two stolen bases, a .412 on-base percentage and a .480 slugging percentage in 25 at-bats with the rookie Gulf Coast Dodgers.
A LONGHORN LEGEND
Benson certainly lived up to his billing as a blue chip recruit at Texas, becoming an all-time great in college football.
Benson surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in all four seasons as a Longhorn, and finished with 5,540 career yards, which ranks 10th all-time in NCAA history and is the all-time leading total in Big 12 history. As a senior in 2004, the 5-foot-11 tailback finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
But Benson’s impact was more than just accolades and statistics, as former UT head coach and current North Carolina head coach Mack Brown put it best this past week. Brown suffered a knee injury in the early part of the 2005 Rose Bowl, his final collegiate game, just months before he was expected to be selected high in the NFL Draft.
......continued
Benson will live in hearts, minds of many for years
Benson brought the spotlight to the Tall City just like Earl Campbell did for Tyler, Eric Dickerson for Sealy and Adrian Peterson for Palestine. Midland was the state’s focal point in high school football during a three-year span (1998-2000) in large part because of Benson, who as a running back guided Lee to three consecutive Class 5A state titles.
Benson rushed for 8,418 career yards, which ranked third all-time in state history at the time of his graduation. His 127 touchdowns scored was one short of the state record when his Rebel career ended.
Benson still to this day is the only high school football player to appear on the cover of Dave Campbell’s Football annual. Many locals refer to Grande Communications Stadium, which opened in 2002, as “the house that Cedric Benson built.”
After Lee, he continued to build on his gridiron legend status by capturing the Doak Walker Award during an All-American career at the University of Texas and playing eight years in the NFL.
But on a late Aug. 17 night in Austin, Midland lost its beloved football icon when Benson and his passenger, Dr. Aamna Najam, were tragically killed in a motorcycle accident. Benson was only 36, leaving behind his daughter Nadine.
This past week the residents of this city mourned Benson’s passing; he was a sporting giant that seemed larger than life in some ways. But for the coaches and players that knew Benson best, they remembered him for his infectious smile and kindness toward others.
“He’s a very special person to me,” said Jon Rogers, Lee’s quarterback in 1998-99. “He had so much love in his heart.”
The Reporter-Telegram asked the people who knew Benson to share their favorite memories.
CEDRIC MAKES
1ST IMPRESSION
Eighth-grade football in the fall of 1996 was a foreshadowing of Lee’s eventual football dynasty.
That autumn, Lee’s two feeder programs – Alamo Junior High and Abell Junior High – were clearly the two top teams in the eighth-grade district that comprised both Midland ISD and Ector County ISD. Alamo and Abell clashed in a matchup, which drew then-Lee head football coach John Parchman out to Alamo to witness the showdown. Benson played for Abell.
“There were no stands over there and there were two or three thousand people there to watch an eighth grade football game,” Parchman said. “That’s when I first watched (Cedric) and I said ‘Dang, this kid is something else.’ That game in particular was a big game between the two Lee junior highs and there was a lot of interest there and he was the star of the game.”
One year later, Benson was the dominant player in the freshman district before earning a varsity roster spot on the Rebels to start his sophomore season in 1997. However, Benson came off the bench in the early part of the year, playing behind a junior that started at running back.
Around the 1/3 part of the regular season, the starting tailback suffered a sprained ankle, which vaulted Benson into the starting spot. A few weeks later, the junior recovered, but Benson remained entrenched as starter, reminiscent of Lou Gehrig taking over for Wally Pipp as New York Yankees’ first baseman.
“It was one of those deals where we thought he might be the best one, but he was just a sophomore and we were afraid,” Parchman said. “Sometimes if you throw a sophomore into 6A varsity football before he’s ready, sometimes it does more harm than good, so in a way, it was good that he didn’t have to start out with all that pressure on him. He got two or three games to kind of get his sea legs under him and after that, it was his show.”
Despite beginning the year as a reserve, Benson went on to finish the 1998 campaign with 2,026 rushing yards.
THE RUN AT
TEXAS STADIUM
In its 1998 state championship run, Lee won handily in all but one of its six wins.
That one game occurred in the state quarterfinal against South Grand Prairie at Texas Stadium in Irving. With the Rebels clinging to a one-score lead, Lee was backed up deep in its own territory during a crucial moment in the second half.
“The other coaches were in the press box and we were nervous because it’s a tight ballgame,” Rebels long-time assistant coach Scott Hicks said. “I just remember one of the coaches going, ‘He’s going to go any moment; he’s going to go.’ We ran — I think — ‘Toss 48,’ and I think if he didn’t find that little seam, we wouldn’t have blown that game wide open. He took it, I think, 80, 85, 90 yards. From that point on, it was like we’re never out of it. In any close ballgame, we’re going to win because we have ‘that guy.’ ‘That guy’ can change that game in a second.”
Benson broke loose officially on a 95-yard scoring run to propel Lee to a 20-7 victory over South Grand Prairie.
“It busted the game wide open,” Rogers said. “I remember running downfield 80 yards and meeting him in the end zone and jumping on him. That was like the first time he did something there that kind of just broke the game away. Being in the playoffs, that, for some reason, just stands out with me.”
The Rebels wound up walloping San Antonio MacArthur, 54-0, for their first state championship in school history. MacArthur, infamously, played the game on short notice after turning in their equipment after Katy was disqualified due to using an ineligible player.
Benson’s famous run against South Grand Prairie didn’t come by accident, though; it was a moment that he prepared for in practice every time.
“I would run the (scout team) defense and every time he would get the ball, Cedric would run to the end zone,” Hicks said. “It didn’t matter where we were on the field when they were practicing, he would run to the end zone. He was running back one time and I said, ‘Hey, Cedric, why do you run to the end zone every time?’ He just looked at me and he said, ‘Because every time I get the ball, I expect I’m going to score a touchdown.’
“I said, ‘Wow’. What a deal. He just had a tremendous work ethic and self-confidence. He wasn’t arrogant, but he had self confidence that was just exceptional. He was just a lot of fun to watch and a lot of fun to be around.”
While Benson had three career scampers for 93 yards or more, former Lee secondary coach Mike Meeks said his shorter runs were even memorable.
“I always thought his best carries were 4, 5 and 6 yards,” said Meeks, who is now Executive Director of Athletics for Lubbock ISD. “The things he did to pick up 4, 5 and 6 yards were simply amazing. The great vision, the great lateral movement, being physical to defeat the first tackler. He had a great feel for the game.”
BENSON MORPHS
INTO LEE’S LEADER
One of Parchman’s fondest memories of Benson occurred in a district game at Ratliff Stadium even though the coach can’t recall if it was against Permian or Odessa High.
Parchman believed it was the juncture when Benson transformed himself into the team’s unequivocal leader.
“It was at halftime and things weren’t going that well and he came up and said, ‘Coach, I’ve got to have some help. I can’t do this all by myself,’” Parchman said. “I turned to him and said, ‘Why not? Why can’t you do it all by yourself? The great ones do.’ I was pretty gruff with him. I wasn’t happy, either; things weren’t going well. And so he turned and kind of walked away and then about 30 seconds later, he comes back and says, ‘You’re right. I will do it. I will do whatever you want me to do. I will carry it every play if you want me to carry it. Let’s go and let’s kick their ***.’
“It was kind of a turning point, I think, at how he looked at himself. If he wanted to be one of the great ones, then he had to carry the load sometimes when nobody else could and that was a turning point for him and for us. That’s the single moment that stands out in my mind.”
Rogers said Benson brought a presence to the Lee offensive huddle. When Cedric spoke, the other players paid close attention to what he had to say and responded.
“Especially on the field, Cedric had a business-like sense about him,” Rogers said. “We knew that anytime that he spoke up, it could be even a little thing like, ‘Let’s go, it’s time to score a touchdown. Pick it up.’ Anything. We knew that we needed to just follow right behind him and make it happen. He was that kind of leader.”
In 1999, Benson enjoyed his best season as a Rebel, rushing for 3,526 yards, which was the fourth all-time total in state history at the time. He also scored 51 TDs and eclipsed the 300-yard rushing total in four games, which included a 353-yard effort in a 34-22 win over rival Odessa Permian.
Benson wasn’t a quarterback, but he was the rare running back treated like one in practices, as he was off-limits when it came to contact.
“The way Coach Parchman had it, we don’t hit Ced,” former Lee and Texas Tech defensive lineman Fred Thwreatt said. “You know how some teams, the quarterback has an oft-colored jersey. You don’t hit him, don’t touch him. With Ced, he had the same normal color jersey, but we knew to not touch him. I got in trouble one time by tackling him.”
The height of Benson’s high school popularity came prior to his senior season after the tailback guided the Rebels to a 15-0 record and their second straight state title with a 42-21 win over Aldine Eisenhower in Austin. Benson was being inundated by a myriad of interview requests from media outlets. Parchman approached Benson about his concern that other hard working Rebel players weren’t getting their due. Cedric agreed.
“He said, ‘Coach, I’ll tell you what I want to do. I don’t want to do any more interviews for the rest of the year, maybe when we get in the playoffs,’” Parchman said. “‘I’ve already given interviews and already had my name on the cover of the magazine, been on TV. I don’t have to have that. You’re exactly right, let’s get those other guys out there.’
“That speaks a great deal about what kind of guy he was. I think we agreed that each TV station could talk to him one time during the season and I let them pick when they wanted to do it. But the rest of the time, the recognition went to the other fellas and I think everybody appreciated that. That’s who Cedric Benson was. It wasn’t all about him all the time.”
Benson capped off his high school football career by propelling Lee to a 33-21 win over Austin Westlake in the Class 5A state championship at Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium in Austin. Benson rushed 40 times for 246 yards and five TDs in his Rebel swan song.
Long-time Lee football supporter Larry Hall remembered the game most for Benson’s head-on collisions with Westlake defensive back Huston Street, who went on to record 324 career saves as a pitcher in a 13-year major league career. The two coincidentally would go on to compete at Texas, albeit in different sports.
“That was very memorable,” Hall said. “Huston Street kept coming at him and Cedric kept going. It was a good battle.”
CED KNOWS
BASEBALL TOO
One can only imagine what Benson could have accomplished as a baseball player had he committed to the sport full-time.
The Lee center fielder impressed enough on the diamond to get selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 12th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball amateur draft.
“I saw Bo Jackson play and this guy has the same kind of ability as Bo Jackson did when was playing both sports,” former Rebels baseball coach Jesse Benavidez said. “He could probably do the same thing. He’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime athletes that comes through because he had so much speed. Cedric had always told me that baseball was his first love and that’s what he wanted to play when he was a kid, even though he excelled so much at football. With the speed and the agility to go get the ball in the outfield and be able to throw it and hit for power, it was something special.”
Benavidez said Benson excelled in baseball because he gave everything he had just like he did on the gridiron. In 2000, Benavidez recalled Benson getting ejected in Game 1 of the best-of-three Class 5A regional quarterfinal series against Lubbock High. The fans were riding Benson, and he got discouraged in a 7-5 loss.
The next day, Benson was on a mission to help the Rebels bounce back from a 1-0 deficit, and ended up hitting a walk-off home run during a 4-3 victory in the series’ deciding game.
“The following game when we came back and played again, you could tell that he was ready,” Benavidez said. “I could just tell, he was hitting everything.”
Benavidez recalls that Benson received a $50,000 signing bonus from the Dodgers, and that the baseball organization paid for his tuition in his initial year at UT. As a 19-year-old, Benson hit .200 with three doubles, two triples, two RBI, two stolen bases, a .412 on-base percentage and a .480 slugging percentage in 25 at-bats with the rookie Gulf Coast Dodgers.
A LONGHORN LEGEND
Benson certainly lived up to his billing as a blue chip recruit at Texas, becoming an all-time great in college football.
Benson surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in all four seasons as a Longhorn, and finished with 5,540 career yards, which ranks 10th all-time in NCAA history and is the all-time leading total in Big 12 history. As a senior in 2004, the 5-foot-11 tailback finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
But Benson’s impact was more than just accolades and statistics, as former UT head coach and current North Carolina head coach Mack Brown put it best this past week. Brown suffered a knee injury in the early part of the 2005 Rose Bowl, his final collegiate game, just months before he was expected to be selected high in the NFL Draft.
......continued
Benson will live in hearts, minds of many for years
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