MIDLAND, Texas — Some people wish for it, champions work for it.
A statue of the late Cedric Benson, a legendary football player from Midland, will soon be placed at the Astound Broadband Stadium.
Before his unfortunate death following a motorcycle crash in 2019, the Texas Football Hall of Famer was a running back on a Lee High School championship team as early as 1998. Benson was also the first high school athlete to be the prominent cover person for Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine.
Upon leaving Lee High School, Benson was the leading rusher in Class 5A, which was the highest classification at the time. Cedric Benson went on to the University of Texas where he was one of the all-time leading rushers in NCAA history.
He went on to the NFL as a first round pick. Benson played with the Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals and the Green Bay Packers.
During Tuesday's Midland City Council meeting, city leaders made a motion to approve the amended proposal so that verbiage for the placement of the statue will be broadened as either inside or outside of Astound Broadband Stadium.
"Midland really has had generations of really iconic athletes and we're excited to be able to celebrate this one as the first statue, but we do anticipate that there will be others to be coming forward and even as recently as the last few weeks," said Midland Mayor Lori Blong.
The statue of Cedric Benson will be the first to be placed at Astound Broadband Stadium.
"Cedric Benson was arguably one of the best running backs to come out of Midland, this area, period," said Midland City Councilman John Norman. "I just think it would be great to start something such as having a 'Walk of Champions' or a walkway to where we could honor different people that have graced our great city."
During the meeting, Councilman Norman mentioned the statue was currently in the design phase. The sculpture is expected to be made out of bronze and will be privately funded.