Texas to honor Cedric Benson with moment of silence prior to Louisiana Tech kickoff

Texas Football's Twitter account put the decal on public display Monday showing the helmet of current Longhorns running back Keaontay Ingram.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas announced it will honor legendary running back Cedric Benson with a No. 32 decal on its helmet for at least the season opener against Louisiana Tech this weekend.

There will also be a moment of silence prior to kickoff of Saturday’s game.

Benson died in a motorcycle accident August 17 in west Austin.

Texas Football’s Twitter account put the decal on public display Monday showing the helmet of current Longhorns running back Keaontay Ingram.

Benson was a four-year starter for the Longhorns rushing for over 1,000 yards in all four seasons. He’s the only Texas player to achieve the mark with only five other players in NCAA history accomplishing the feat.

“When you lose someone like that to an accident…that young, tragic is the only word that comes to mind. He was one of the greatest to play here. We’re thinking and praying for his family and realize he’s one of the greatest to play here,” Tom Herman said Monday at his weekly press conference.

Benson’s funeral service was held in Austin last Saturday. His body was laid to rest in the Texas State Cemetery Monday morning. The Texas State Cemetery is the final resting place of Governors, Senators, Legislators, Congressmen, Judges and other legendary Texans.

Benson won the Doak Walker award voted as the best running back of 2004. He was inducted into the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor in 2014.

Austin Mayor Steve Adler proclaimed August 22, 2019 as ‘Cedric Benson Day’ in Austin.