Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson was arrested and charged with assault causing bodily injury to a family member early Sunday morning in Central Texas.No other details were available from the Travis County sheriff's office regarding the Class A misdemeanor charge. Benson will be a free agent once a new collective-bargaining agreement is in place.
Benson's latest legal trouble comes a little more than a year after an arrest involving an alleged bar fight in Texas, which didn't result in a discipline from the NFL.
Commissioner Roger Goodell said then that he was satisfied Benson understood his responsibilities as an NFL player and a public figure after Benson met with Goodell and other league officials.
Goodell has stated players will still be subject to review and discipline under the personal-conduct policy for potential violations during the lockout.
The Chicago Bears, who selected Benson fourth overall in 2005, released him in 2008 after a pair of alcohol-related arrests in Texas. The cases were dropped when grand juries declined to indict.
The 28-year-old Benson was the focal point of a running game that helped the Bengals win the AFC North title in 2009.
The Bengals decided to emphasize the passing game last season, a move that backfired as the Bengals stumbled to a 4-12 record. Still, he recorded his second straight 1,000-yard season with 1,111 yards.
He ran for 1,251 yards in 13 games in 2009, missing three because of a strained hip. He also set a club record by running for 100 yards six times. He also ran for 169 yards in a playoff loss to the Jets, a club record for the postseason.
Source: www.espn.go.com
