Texas Running Back Benson Quits Baseball By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Filed at 2:26 p.m. ET, NY Times AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Texas running back Cedric Benson gave up pro baseball for football, choosing to stay with the Longhorns for his senior year. The Los Angeles Dodgers drafted Benson in the 12th round as an outfielder in 2001 and were paying for his education. Now he'll go on a football scholarship at Texas. His decision was first reported by The Dallas Morning News ``I want 2004 to be my best year ever and that's why I've decided to give up baseball and concentrate solely on football,'' Benson said. ``I still believe I could be successful in baseball, but my heart is pushing me towards football.'' Benson played with the Dodgers' rookie league club in Vero Beach, Fla., before his freshman and sophomore years at Texas. Benson, who has earned more than $100,000 playing baseball, didn't play for the rookie league club last summer, choosing to work out in Austin and focus on football. He acknowledged then the Dodgers weren't happy with him. ``Cedric already has a place among the best running backs in Texas history and he is really working hard to build on that,'' Texas coach Mack Brown said. ``We talked about his giving up baseball and concentrating solely on football and I told him I was supportive of any decision he made.'' Benson, who rushed for 1,360 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2003, considered leaving school early to enter the NFL draft. He's only the third Longhorn back to rush for 1,000 yards in three seasons. Benson's 3,706 career yards ranks behind only Heisman Trophy winners Ricky Williams (6,279) and Earl Campbell (4,443) at Texas. His 45 career rushing TDs ranks second behind Williams (72) on the school list.
I guess the proceeds of his apartment break-ins were enough for him to live off of. Probably doesn't need that baseball paycheck anymore.
doesn't the fact that he made $100,000 playing baseball professionally make him ineligible? At least while he was making money playing baseball? Didn't that guy from Colorado (Bloom) have to give up his skiiing endorsements to play football?
And the award for most predictable post goes to... It's really gonna burn you when you go to school there next year, isn't it? BTW, quit living in the past.
I believe it made him ineligible for a scholarship from the university. I think you can play a sport as long as you don't receive money from playing that specific sport, hence, still an amateur at that sport. I think the Bloom thing had to do with the endorsements, specifically.
You are right, RM95. Ricky Williams was the same way. He didn't have a scholarship either while at UT because he played pro baseball. The difference with bloom is he wants to stay on scholarship for football, if I'm not mistaken. That is why he is embroiled in controversy I believe.
Exactly, Drew Henson had a multi-million dollar contract with the Yankee's while he was at Michigan playing football.
