Former Texas Longhorns running back Cedric Benson was arrested for drunk driving Saturday morning, according to the Austin American Statesman.
Benson was reportedly pulled over for speeding and making an “improper turn” and lane change without signaling while driving in Austin early in the morning. The Statesman says he refused a field sobriety test and balance test.
These notes from the affidavit make it seem like Benson was pretty uncooperative and tried to play the football player card. From The Statesman:
According to the affidavit, Benson refused field sobriety tests, and when the officer asked Benson to recite the alphabet, Benson “stated he couldn’t do that because he played 8 years in the NFL” and also claimed he was unable to count to any number higher than 3.
Benson was pulled over at a 7-Eleven store parking lot and tried to go inside the store. His eyes were said to be glassy, “he was swaying, his speech was mumbled and he smelled of alcohol,” per the report.
Benson was pulled over around 2:47 a.m. and was eventually booked into jail, though he is no longer in custody.
The former Texas star was the No. 4 overall draft pick by the Chicago Bears in 2005 and also played for the Bengals and Packers. He has a long history of alcohol-related incidents.
He was arrested in 2008 for drunken boating and resisting arrest. He was also arrested that year for DWI. He also was arrested in 2010 and 2011 for assaults. Benson was also arrested in late 2014 for public intoxication.
