Cornelius Bennett - Professional Career

Professional Career

L. T.'s in a class all by himself. I'll put L. T. first, then Tippett, and Bennett behind him.

—Jets fullback Roger Vick, ranking the NFL's best pass rushers during the 1988 NFL season.

Bennett and the Colts were unable to come to an agreement on a contract. Bennett was then dealt to the Bills from the Colts in a three way trade that also included Los Angeles Rams running back Eric Dickerson, and Bills running back Greg Bell. This trade occurred in the fall of the 1987 season, just before the trade deadline, and has been called "the trade of the decade" by the New York Times.

In the NFL, Bennett's talent at the left outside linebacker position helped the teams he played for to 5 Super Bowl appearances (4 with Buffalo and 1 with Atlanta), but they lost them all. In his 14 NFL seasons, he recorded 71½ sacks, 7 interceptions, 112 return yards, 27 fumble recoveries, 78 fumble return yards, and 3 touchdowns (1 interception, 1 fumble return and 1 blocked field goal return).

At the time of his retirement, his 27 defensive fumble recoveries were the third most in NFL history.

Bennett was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

Bennett is the cousin of the late Marquise Hill.

Read more about this topic:  Cornelius Bennett

Famous quotes containing the words professional and/or career:

    If I’d written all the truth I knew for the past ten years, about 600 people—including me—would be rotting in prison cells from Rio to Seattle today. Absolute truth is a very rare and dangerous commodity in the context of professional journalism.
    Hunter S. Thompson (b. 1939)

    Like the old soldier of the ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Goodbye.
    Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964)