Aaron Rodgers Pays Tribute to Former Teammate Cedric Benson After His Death: 'You Will Be Missed'

Cedric Benson's former University of Texas coach, Mack Brown, also honored him with a tribute post on Sunday

Photo: MSA/Icon SMI/Corbis via Getty

Aaron Rodgers honored his former teammate, Cedric Benson, following the one-time NFL player’s tragic death in a motorcycle accident Saturday night.

The Green Bay Packers quarterback shared a tribute to his late friend on Instagram Sunday, with two photos from their time together on the Wisconsin NFL team.

“Very sad news today to hear of the passing of my friend and former teammate Cedric Benson,” his post began. “Ced and I became fast friends during his short stay in Green Bay, and would spend many lunch hours in the cafeteria talking about life and football.”

Rodgers continued his tribute, sending Benson’s family his condolences and remembering the start of their football careers as part of the 2005 NFL draft.

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“Ced was very smart and thoughtful and I always walked away from our conversations feeling like I learned something or wanted to go research something so that I could keep up with him in our conversations,” Rodgers said. “Love and prayers to his family and friends, thanks CB for the inspiration, you will be missed. 🙏🏻 #05draftclass #GBP #RIP.”

Benson, who was a University of Texas football legend and former NFL running back, died Saturday night in a motorcycle collision at the age of 36.

Authorities responded to reports of a motorcycle and car crash at around 10:20 p.m. local time on FM 2222 and Mount Bonnell Road in Austin, Texas, according to reports from KVUE and the Austin American Statesman.

First responders told KVUE that one of the vehicles was on fire when they arrived. Benson and an unidentified woman, also in her 30s, were pronounced dead at the scene. Two others had non-life-threatening injuries.

Police also told the outlet that Benson and the woman were on the motorcycle heading down FM 2222 when a minivan pulled out of Mount Bonnell Road and hit them. Benson’s family and friends later confirmed his death to the Austin American Statesman on Sunday.

Benson’s coach while at the University of Texas, Mack Brown, also honored him with a post to Instagram on Sunday.

“Saddened by the reports on the passing of Cedric Benson. We’ve coached a lot of tough players but none were tougher than Cedric,” Brown wrote. “He was a true spirit. Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family on this sad day.”

Ahead of the accident, Benson shared an image on his Instagram Story of his motorcycle with two helmets resting on the vehicle, and captioned the snap “My Saturday Evening.”

According to CBS Sports, Benson was a four-year starter for the Texas Longhorns from 2001-04, racking up 67 touchdowns throughout his college career.

He went on to play for eight years in the NFL after he was selected fourth overall in the 2005 Draft by the Chicago Bears. After three seasons with the Bears, he joined the Cincinnati Bengals in 2008 and retired from the NFL after playing with the Green Bay Packers in 2012.