Former NFL running back Cedric Benson tragically died in a motorcycle accident last summer at just 36 years old. Now the mansion he owned in Austin, TX, is on the market for $4.5 million.
Recruited out of high school in Midland, TX, by the University of Texas, Benson became a Longhorns legend and a collegiate All-American. He was drafted fourth overall by the Chicago Bears in 2005 and went on to play for the Bears, the Cincinnati Bengals, and Green Bay Packers. After his football career, Benson returned home to Austin and set up a foundation, NUFCED, focused on helping low-income kids and families.
In 2007, the hometown football hero bought this modern hilltop estate with views of the city below, including Pennybacker Bridge, Lake Austin, and the downtown skyline.
The 1.5-acre estate is gated and private and includes a main house of more than 6,200 square feet, and a 400-square-foot guesthouse with full bathroom.
The main house is minimalist and almost industrial, with wide open spaces that give the home a loftlike feel. There are modern bathrooms, a fitness room, and even a bathroom with a dedicated cold soak tub, as well as an industrial ice machine for recovering from a tough workout.
Benson and a woman riding on the motorcycle with him were killed when they struck a minivan last August in Austin. Now his family is ready to part with his home. What he left behind is an impeccable piece of property quietly floating over the city he loved.
Current University of Texas football coach Tom Herman expressed the sadness of an entire city upon Benson’s tragic death, “We lost a true Longhorn legend, one of the best running backs in college football history and a really special man.”