The late Cedric Benson, who starred at the then-Midland Lee High School, the University of Texas and the NFL, is among the five honorees selected by the Midland Independent School District for its 2021 Hall of Legends class.
Benson, an LHS 2001 graduate, will join the following former student-athletes for enshrinement: Eric Winston, football; Tevis Herd, track; Natalie Hinds, swimming; and Bryce Hoppel, track, a press release issued by the West Texas school district said.
“This is an outstanding class,” Blake Feldt, executive director of Athletics, said in the release. "These athletes' accomplishments are something to be proud of, not only for the school district, but for the entire city of Midland.”
NewsWest9 reported that the class will be recognized at the annual intra-district rivalry game between Midland and newly-christened Legacy next month.
One of the greatest running backs in Texas high school football history, Benson was a huge contributor to Lee’s trifecta of Class 5A – the largest classification in his time – championships in the late ‘90s.
With fellow hall inductee Winston and the Rebels offensive line creating holes for him, Benson bulldozed his way to more than 8,000 rushing yards for his storied prep career.
Benson then took his talents to Austin where he was a four-year starter for Texas, amassing around 5,000 yards to finish behind Longhorns great Ricky Williams in all-time rushing yards in school history.
The Chicago Bears took Benson, the 2004 Doak Walker Award honoree, with the fifth overall pick in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft.
He put together an eight-year NFL career, with stints in Cincinnati and Green Bay aside from Chicago.
Benson passed away from a motorcycle accident on Aug. 17, 2019.