Attorney Sam Bassett has issued a statement following the death of former Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, and Green Bay Packers running back Cedric Benson, who was killed in a motorcycle accident on Saturday night in Austin, Texas:

Benson was one of the most mercurial talents in football. He was an elite running back at the University of Texas, and was selected by the Bears with the fourth overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.

Although Chicago hoped that Benson would be the heir apparent to legendary running back Walter Payton, he struggled to find a consistent role in Chicago, and he was arrested for a boating incident in 2008.

Benson would find new life with the Bengals, rushing for over 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons in Cincinnati and appearing to get his career back on track. However, his legal troubles resurfaced in his home state of Texas. Benson was arrested over an alleged bar fight in 2010, then charged with assault in 2011.

After one final year with the Green Bay Packers in 2012, Benson was effectively retired. He finished his playing career with 6,017 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns over the course of seven seasons.

Just days before his tragic death, Benson had plead guilty to a lesser charge in a DWI case from February of 2017, a deal that Bassett himself helped Benson obtain.

Benson will be remembered as an incredible talent, but also someone that struggled to get out of their own way. His battles with addiction cast a dark shadow on someone that was otherwise beloved by his family, teammates and coaches:

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Benson was just 36 years old.