Former NFL Running Back Cedric Benson Dies at 36

Former NFL running back Cedric Benson died Saturday night in a motorcycle accident in Austin, Texas. He was 36. Benson’s motorcycle was reportedly hit by a minivan as it tried to cross an intersection, according to police, NBC affiliate KXAN reports. In 2005, Benson was drafted No. 4 overall by the Chicago Bears, and later played for the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers. Before turning pro, he was a key player at the University of Texas, scoring 64 career touchdowns with the Longhorns and won the Doak Walker award, given to the country’s top running back. After his football career ended, Benson returned to Austin and set up the foundation NUFCED, with a mission to “nurture underprivileged families and cultivates educational development through community and school programs across the State of Texas.” His organization helped rebuild the home of the first victim killed in a series of bombings in the city last year. Benson’s attorney and friend Sam Bassett said on Sunday that, “... once Cedric was your friend you understood how kind, sensitive and loyal he was as a man.”