Player Roster

2009 HIGHLIGHTS: GENERAL: Fifth-year pro played in his first full Bengals season in 2009-10 and started 13 games (Games 1-9 and 12-15) … Inactive for Games 10-11 due to a hip flexor strain that sidelined him in first half Nov. 15 at Pittsburgh … Also inactive for Game 16, Jan. 3 at New York Jets, as he was rested for the playoffs … Had 1251 rushing yards, first 1000-yard season of his career and seventh-most by a Bengal ... Despite missed time, ranked fifth in AFC and eighth in NFL in rushing yards, and was sixth in NFL in carries (301) ... Led league in rushing through Weeks 5 and 7, and ranked second entering the Nov. 15 game in which he was injured ... Posted six 100-yard rushing games, breaking Bengals single-season record of five ...  Had a 4.2-yard average, and was second on team with six TDs (all rushing) ... Had team-leading 1362 yards from scrimmage, and led team in scrimmage yards in nine of the 12 games in which he played all the way ... Had 17 receptions for 111 yards.

GOLD, SILVER AND BRONZE: Benson has the NFL’s two highest single-game carry totals in 2009, and his third highest ties the next-best figure in the league. Benson carried a league-high 37 times Oct. 25 vs. Chicago and had 36 carries Dec. 6 vs. Detroit. He had 34 Nov. 8 vs. Baltimore, and Cleveland’s Jerome Harrison also had 34 on Dec. 20 at Kansas City.

THE ‘BENSON’ BOWL:  On Oct. 25 vs. Chicago, the team that released him in 2008 despite drafting him fourth overall in 2005, Benson rushed for a career-high 189 yards on 37 carries, with one TD. It was the seventh-most rushing yards in Bengals history, and NFL Network reported it was the most rushing yards in league history by a player against his former team.

REWRITING RAVENS HISTORY: On Oct. 11 at Baltimore, Benson became the first back in 40 games to rush for 100 yards against the Ravens, going 27-for-120. He broke several tackles before sprinting 28 yards for a third-quarter TD. And on Nov. 8 vs. Baltimore, Benson rushed 34-for-117, making him the first back to record consecutive 100-yard games against the Ravens since Miami’s Ricky Williams in 2002-03. He is the first since Pittsburgh’s Jerome Bettis in 1997 to get 100 vs. Baltimore twice in the same season.   

MORE GAME-BY-GAME: Had team-high 108 yards from scrimmage Sept. 13 vs. Denver, on 21-for-76 rushing (with a one-yard TD) and four-for-32 receiving ... Rushed 29-for-141 Sept. 20 at Green Bay  … Rushed 16-for-76 (4.8) Sept 27 vs. Pittsburgh, including 23-yard TD run for the first of two Bengals fourth-quarter TDs in a comeback win … Rushed 18-for-74 with a 12-yard reception in win Oct. 4 at Cleveland, and had 54 yards from scrimmage in overtime  … Held to 44 rushing yards on 16 carries, including a 10-yard TD run, Oct. 18 vs. Houston … Rushed seven-for-22 Nov. 15 at Pittsburgh before being sidelined for second half due to hip strain … Rushed for 110 yards on 36 carries, and added two receptions for 15 yards Dec. 6 vs. Detroit … Rushed for 96 yards on 16 carries, with one reception for four yards, Dec. 13 at Minnesota … Rushed 15-for-53 Dec. 20 at San Diego, and had two receptions for 19 yards … Rushed for 133 yards on 29 carries Dec. 27 vs. Kansas City.

PREVIOUS SEASONS: 2008 - Led team in yards from scrimmage in six games (Games 7-9 and 14-16) ... Tied for team lead in rushing TDs (two) ... His 46-yard rushing gain Dec. 21 at Cleveland was his career long and team’s longest rush of ’08 ... Made Bengals debut Oct. 5 at Dallas, with 10 rushes for 30 yards ... In first Bengals start, Oct. 19 vs. Pittsburgh, rushed 14-for-52 with a 10-yard reception ... In season’s first win, Nov. 2 vs. Jacksonville, rushed 24-for-104 and led team in scrimmage yards (109) for third straight week ... On Dec. 14 vs. Washington, logged 161 yards from scrimmage, going 21-for-73 rushing (3.5) and adding career-high and team-leading 88 yards on three receptions ... On Dec. 21 at Cleveland, posted a career-high 171 rushing yards, team scrimmage high for the season, and his 38 rush attempts tied for third most in franchise history ... Closed season with 25-for-111 rushing performance Dec. 28 vs. Kansas City, including two-yard TD run for 10-0 Bengals lead in second quarter ... Also vs. Chiefs, had 19 yards on three receptions and led team in scrimmage yards (130).

2007 - Started in Games 1-11 for Chicago, but suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Game 11, Nov. 25 vs. Denver ... Placed Nov. 27 on Reserve/Injured list ... His 674 rushing yards led the team for the season ... Rushed for season-high 101 yards on 24 carries in victory Sept. 16 vs. Kansas City ... Had career-long TD run of 43 yards Nov. 18 at Seattle ... Rushed eight-for-47 Nov. 25 vs. Denver before suffering ankle injury in second quarter.

2006 - Played in 15 regular season games and all three postseason games as Bears won NFC North with 13-3 record and advanced to Super Bowl XLI vs. Indianapolis ... Scored career-best six TDs while rushing for 647 yards and 4.1 avg. ... Scored his first two NFL touchdowns in win Oct. 8 vs. Buffalo ... Had his first 100-yard rushing game, gaining 109 on just 13 carries, Dec. 31 vs. Green Bay ... Rushed 38-for-104 in three postseason games, including 24-for-60 with a 12-yard TD in NFC Championship 1-21-07 vs. New Orleans ... Limited to minus-one net yards on two carries in Super Bowl.

2005 - Drafted by Chicago in first round (fourth overall) ... Played in nine games with one start, missing six games with a knee injury ... Rushed 62-for-272 (4.1 avg.) ... Led team with 79 rushing yards on 14 carries Nov. 6 at New Orleans ... Made first start the following week, Nov. 13 vs. San Francisco, and rushed 12-for-50 before suffering a knee injury in second quarter ... Inactive for Games 10-15, and returned to action in season finale on 1-1-06 at Minnesota.

COLLEGE: Four-year starter (2001-04) at Texas, and his 5540 rushing yards ranked sixth in NCAA Division I-A history ... Averaged 5.0 yards per carry ... Was the fifth back in NCAA history to rush for 1000 yards in all four seasons ... Also caught 69 passes for 621 yards (9.0) ... Rushed for 1834 yards and 19 TDs as a senior, winning Doak Walker Award (nation’s top RB) and Cingular/ABC Sports All-America Player of the Year.

BASEBALL, TOO: Benson was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 12th round (370th overall) of the 2001 MLB Draft ... Played summer ball in Dodgers system at Vero Beach, Fla., while attending Texas ... Stopped playing baseball in 2003 to concentrate on football.

PERSONAL: Hometown is Midland, Texas ... Attended Lee High School, where he was a Parade All-American and three-time Texas 5A Offensive Player of the Year ... His 8423 prep rushing yards ranked first in Texas Class 5A history ... Majored in social work at Texas.