Sean Bennett
Encyclopedia
William Sean Bennett is a former professional American and Canadian football
running back
. He was drafted by the New York Giants
of the National Football League
(NFL) in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft
. He played college football
for the Evansville Purple Aces
, Illinois Fighting Illini
and Northwestern Wildcats
.
Bennett began his collegiate career as a baseball and football player at the University of Illinois, but transferred to the University of Evansville after one year. At Evansville he was an All-American two–times but had to transfer due to the school dropping football
as a sport. Bennett then attended Northwestern University
where he was a fullback
and was mainly a blocker but did get a few rushing attempts
.
Since he was a senior after his single season at Northwestern, he elected to enter the 1999 NFL Draft
and surprised many by being selected by the New York Giants
in the fourth round. He played four seasons in New York but ended up injured each season and was released after 2002. He then joined the New York Jets
but was released before the season
began. After his failed stints in New York he played for the Canadian Football League's
Ottawa Renegades
and Toronto Argonauts
; and the Evansville BlueCats
of the Indoor Football League
.
. In high school, Bennett played baseball and football and was hoping to become a professional baseball player. In football he played wide receiver
and was named All–State and in baseball his batting average
was .425 over four years.
Following his senior season in high school, Bennett accepted a baseball and football scholarship at the University of Illinois. However at the end of his freshman year he decided to drop baseball and transfer to the University of Evansville. When asked why he dropped baseball, Bennett responded, "I couldn't hit." At Evansville, his hometown, Bennett coverted to running back
after mainly playing wide receiver
before that. As a sophomore and junior, he was a two time All-American and set school records in rushing and touchdown
s. However, after his junior season the school decided to drop football forcing Bennett to transfer to Northwestern University
. At Northwestern, Bennett became the starting
fullback
. In his only year he had 32 rushes and 160 yards.
(NFL) scouts came to work out D'Wayne Bates
and Barry Gardner
, Bennett decided to join the workout. When he ran the 40 yard dash
in 4.45 seconds, scouts
were reportedly, "doing double-takes".
Bennett was selected by the New York Giants
in the fourth round of the 1999 National Football League Draft
. As a rookie in 1999, Bennett missed seven games due to a knee
injury. After undergoing surgery on the knee, he missed all of the 2000 season
. In 2001, New York expected Bennett to work in tandem with Tiki Barber
but after suffering a hamstring
injury, he was released on September 3, 2001. After multiple injuries to their running backs, the Giants became interested in re-signing Bennett but because of NFL rules they were unable to do so until January 2002. During this time period, he was offered contracts by the Philadelphia Eagles
and Miami Dolphins
but rejected both hoping to return to the Giants. He re-signed with the Giants on January 16, 2002. During the season, Bennett was returned to the wide receiver position he played in high school, due to multiple injuries suffered by the Giants players in that position. He was waived
on December 4, 2002.
On April 1, 2003, the New York Jets
signed Bennett. He was released on August 23, 2003.
on March 3, 2004. He was cut
at the end of training camp. On June 16, 2004, after he was cut he signed with the Evansville BlueCats
of the Indoor Football League
. Bennett left the BlueCats and was re-signed to the Renegades practice roster
. On July 27, he was activated and played in three games for Ottawa. In 2005, he played in five games recording 76 yards on four catches
. With Ottawa, Bennett returned to playing fullback which he played at Northwestern. After the season he re-joined Evansville for one season. After Ottawa folded at the end of 2005, he entered the CFL Dispersal Draft
and was selected by the Toronto Argonauts
. When he was drafted he was playing once again for the Evansville BlueCats, but left the team in favor of Toronto. During his only season in Toronto, Bennett suffered a finger
injury that allowed him to play in only three games. The Argonauts won all three games Bennett played for them.
After leaving the game of football in 2007, Bennett became a trainer at Tri-State Athletic Club in Evansville.
Gridiron football
Gridiron football , sometimes known as North American football, is an umbrella term for related codes of football primarily played in the United States and Canada. The predominant forms of gridiron football are American football and Canadian football...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
. He was drafted by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the Evansville Purple Aces
University of Evansville
The University of Evansville is a small, private university with approximately 3,050 students located in Evansville, Indiana. Founded in 1854 as Moores Hill College, it is located near the interchange of the Lloyd Expressway and U.S. Route 41. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
, Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
and Northwestern Wildcats
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
.
Bennett began his collegiate career as a baseball and football player at the University of Illinois, but transferred to the University of Evansville after one year. At Evansville he was an All-American two–times but had to transfer due to the school dropping football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
as a sport. Bennett then attended Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
where he was a fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
and was mainly a blocker but did get a few rushing attempts
Carry (American football)
In American football, a carry is a statistical term equivalent to a single rushing play. The term is typically used in reference to "yards per carry," meaning yards per attempt rushing the ball. Any offensive player who performs a carry is known as a ballcarrier, regardless of position....
.
Since he was a senior after his single season at Northwestern, he elected to enter the 1999 NFL Draft
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
and surprised many by being selected by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fourth round. He played four seasons in New York but ended up injured each season and was released after 2002. He then joined the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
but was released before the season
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
began. After his failed stints in New York he played for the Canadian Football League's
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
Ottawa Renegades
Ottawa Renegades
Ottawa Renegades was the most recent name of a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario founded in 2002, seven years after the storied Ottawa Rough Riders folded...
and Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
; and the Evansville BlueCats
Evansville BlueCats
The Evansville BlueCats were a professional indoor football team. They were a member of the United Indoor Football Association . 2007 was the 5th and final season for the Evansville BlueCats, based in Evansville, Indiana.-Location:...
of the Indoor Football League
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
.
Early career
Sean Bennett was born on November 9, 1975 in Evansville, IndianaEvansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
. In high school, Bennett played baseball and football and was hoping to become a professional baseball player. In football he played wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
and was named All–State and in baseball his batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
was .425 over four years.
Following his senior season in high school, Bennett accepted a baseball and football scholarship at the University of Illinois. However at the end of his freshman year he decided to drop baseball and transfer to the University of Evansville. When asked why he dropped baseball, Bennett responded, "I couldn't hit." At Evansville, his hometown, Bennett coverted to running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
after mainly playing wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
before that. As a sophomore and junior, he was a two time All-American and set school records in rushing and touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s. However, after his junior season the school decided to drop football forcing Bennett to transfer to Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
. At Northwestern, Bennett became the starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
. In his only year he had 32 rushes and 160 yards.
1999–2003
On March 10, 1999, when some National Football LeagueNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) scouts came to work out D'Wayne Bates
D'Wayne Bates
D'Wayne L. Bates is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. Bates played three seasons with the Chicago Bears and two with the Minnesota Vikings...
and Barry Gardner
Barry Gardner
Barry Allan Gardner is an American football linebacker formerly for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He is currently a free agent....
, Bennett decided to join the workout. When he ran the 40 yard dash
40 yard dash
The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football...
in 4.45 seconds, scouts
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
were reportedly, "doing double-takes".
Bennett was selected by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fourth round of the 1999 National Football League Draft
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
. As a rookie in 1999, Bennett missed seven games due to a knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
injury. After undergoing surgery on the knee, he missed all of the 2000 season
2000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
. In 2001, New York expected Bennett to work in tandem with Tiki Barber
Tiki Barber
Atiim Kiambu Hakeem-Ah "Tiki" Barber is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia....
but after suffering a hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
injury, he was released on September 3, 2001. After multiple injuries to their running backs, the Giants became interested in re-signing Bennett but because of NFL rules they were unable to do so until January 2002. During this time period, he was offered contracts by the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
but rejected both hoping to return to the Giants. He re-signed with the Giants on January 16, 2002. During the season, Bennett was returned to the wide receiver position he played in high school, due to multiple injuries suffered by the Giants players in that position. He was waived
Waivers (American football)
Waivers is a National Football League labor management procedure by which a team makes an American football player contract or NFL rights available to all other teams...
on December 4, 2002.
On April 1, 2003, the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
signed Bennett. He was released on August 23, 2003.
2004–2007
Bennett signed with the Ottawa RenegadesOttawa Renegades
Ottawa Renegades was the most recent name of a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario founded in 2002, seven years after the storied Ottawa Rough Riders folded...
on March 3, 2004. He was cut
Cut
Cut may refer to:* The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely directed force-Mathematics:* Cut * Branch cut, a concept in complex analysis* Dedekind cut, a partition of rational numbers* Cut-elimination theorem...
at the end of training camp. On June 16, 2004, after he was cut he signed with the Evansville BlueCats
Evansville BlueCats
The Evansville BlueCats were a professional indoor football team. They were a member of the United Indoor Football Association . 2007 was the 5th and final season for the Evansville BlueCats, based in Evansville, Indiana.-Location:...
of the Indoor Football League
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
. Bennett left the BlueCats and was re-signed to the Renegades practice roster
Scout team
In sports, the scout team, also referred to as a practice team, taxi squad, practice squad or practice roster, is a group of players on a team whose task is to emulate future opponents for the featured players. Frequently used in American or Canadian Football, these teams consist of less...
. On July 27, he was activated and played in three games for Ottawa. In 2005, he played in five games recording 76 yards on four catches
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
. With Ottawa, Bennett returned to playing fullback which he played at Northwestern. After the season he re-joined Evansville for one season. After Ottawa folded at the end of 2005, he entered the CFL Dispersal Draft
CFL Dispersal Draft
The CFL player dispersal draft was held with the disbanding of the Ottawa Renegades franchise in 2006. The draft took place on April 12th and consisted of eight rounds, with Kerry Joseph being selected first overall by Saskatchewan.-Draft Results:...
and was selected by the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
. When he was drafted he was playing once again for the Evansville BlueCats, but left the team in favor of Toronto. During his only season in Toronto, Bennett suffered a finger
Finger
A finger is a limb of the human body and a type of digit, an organ of manipulation and sensation found in the hands of humans and other primates....
injury that allowed him to play in only three games. The Argonauts won all three games Bennett played for them.
After leaving the game of football in 2007, Bennett became a trainer at Tri-State Athletic Club in Evansville.