Texas' Benson begs questions

[BuckFoston]

With his trademark dreadlocks hanging from underneath the bottom of his helmet, Texas running back Cedric Benson reminded college football fans and NFL scouts of another Longhorn great.

But Benson has since tried to distance himself from the unpredictable Ricky Williams — and from parts of his own past.

Leading up to February's NFL Scouting Combine, Benson cut off the dreadlocks he'd worn since high school.


He also began explaining how he and Williams are really quite different, and that previous reports indicating the two running backs are close friends were perhaps a bit overblown after they ''hung out'' once.

Williams, who set the NCAA career rushing record and won the Heisman Trophy while a Longhorn, quit the Miami Dolphins before the start of last season and later admitted he'd failed multiple drug tests.

''Our relationship wasn't as strong as people might think it was,'' Benson said. ''He's a busy guy, and I'm busy myself. I look up to the guy as a player, and I admire the things he did on the field and that's basically what caught my attraction. ... In many ways we are different.''

Benson, one of the top-rated backs for the April 23-24 NFL Draft, has drawn the interest of many teams, including the Titans.

Just how early he will be selected remains to be seen. Benson and the Auburn duo of Ronnie Brown and Carnell ''Cadillac'' Williams are regarded as the top three backs.

NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brandt, longtime vice president of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys, compared the trio to horses in the Kentucky Derby who are racing for a photo finish.

Titans officials saw Benson at the combine and spent more time with him on his recent visit to Baptist Sports Park.

''He has carried the ball and has missed only one game and is probably the best pure natural runner in the group,'' Titans General Manager Floyd Reese said. ''He's a heck of a player.''

Benson's so-so time in the 40-yard dash during his pro day workout last month, however, led to more questions about some of his past off-the-field troubles.

Benson was charged with misdemeanor criminal trespassing in 2003 after kicking in an apartment door to look for his stolen plasma TV. He was forced to sit out a game and spent a day in jail as part of his plea bargain.

In 2002, a marijuana possession charge against him was dismissed for lack of evidence.

Reese said the Titans are continuing to look into his past.

''All the lessons on the field, all the things I've done off the field, have taught me valuable lessons in life and made me the man I am today,'' Benson said. ''I'm grateful for them. Of course, it caused negative feedback, but as far as growing up and being a man, it taught me valuable lessons.''

Benson said he doesn't necessarily think those problems will hurt him on draft day.

''There's no such thing as perfect,'' he said. ''Who makes it through college without anything on their record?''

Scouts representing 27 NFL teams timed the 5-foot-11, 222-pound Benson anywhere from a 4.51 to the upper 4.6s at his March 23 pro day. Most scouts agreed his time averaged around 4.6, which was slower than Auburn products Brown (4.48) or Williams (4.4).

''It doesn't affect our opinion of him. Times in the 4.6s might raise some eyebrows, but you have to make evaluations based on performance during the season,'' said Rod Graves, football operations vice president for the Arizona Cardinals. ''He was very productive for four years, and that can't be discounted. We look at toughness and instincts, among other attributes. …

''Emmitt Smith didn't run all that fast. Neither did Terrell Suggs. And there are so many others. If you make your decisions based on that, you're going to miss out on a lot of good players.''

Benson won the Doak Walker Award, which goes to the nation's top running back, after rushing for 1,796 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior. He rushed for more than 100 yards in seven halves and had 169 yards in one quarter against Rice.

In four years he rushed for 5,540 yards, sixth on the Division I-A career list.

''What I've done on the field, I think it speaks for itself,'' Benson said. ''There are a lot of great backs coming out, so I can't just say I'm the best back coming out this year. But I have done a lot of good things.''http://www.tennessean.com/sports/titans/archives/05/03/67937824.shtml?Element_ID=67937824

[ATLien]

Bust

[RockSports17]

I'm having the same feelings, and he does remind me of a Rickey Williams. I'm not going to be quick to put the bust label on him, and I will give him a chance and wish him the best of luck.

[Taylor]

I'm having the same feelings, and he does remind me of a Rickey Williams. I'm not going to be quick to put the bust label on him, and I will give him a chance and wish him the best of luck.

Until he retired Williams wasn't a bust

[RockSports17]

Very true. Maybe I should've put them into different paragraphs. I didn't mean to jumble them up as one idea.

I've read a lot about Benson, and he has a mini Ricky written all over him.

Then I meant to say that he could be a bust, but I'm not looking to label him as that yet.

[ATLien]

He had a very productive career at UTA, but when you break him down.. he does a bunch of things okay, but there isn't one aspect of his game you can say he is excellent, or even great, at. Obviously, he is not a speed back. But he is not really a great power back either, and he isn't the double threat type out of the back field at all. I would be surprised if he is drafted in the top ten.

[BuckFoston]

If he is a bust, lets hope he just dosn't retire because of the tree.