Age: 23
2nd
season in pro football & with Bills
College: Alabama
Height: 6’2” Weight: 235
Prelude:
Bennett won
the Lombardi Trophy as college football’s top lineman as a senior in 1986 and
was the SEC Player of the Year in addition to being a consensus first-team
All-American. He was chosen by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the
1987 NFL draft (second overall), but the Colts were unable to sign him and
traded his rights to Buffalo as part of a large three-team deal that also sent
star RB Eric Dickerson from the Rams to Indianapolis. Bennett stepped into the
starting lineup at outside linebacker for the last seven games of the
strike-interrupted season and recorded 8.5 sacks. With his excellent speed and
ability, he quickly established himself as a top player at his position.
1988 Season Summary
Appeared in all
16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Sacks – 9.5 [14,
tied with Dan Hampton & Jim Skow]
Most sacks,
game – 2.5 vs. Green Bay 10/30
Multi-sack
games – 1
Interceptions
– 2
Most
interceptions, game – 1 vs. Minnesota 9/4, at Miami 11/14
Int. return
yards – 30
Most int.
return yards, game – 30 (on 1 int.) at Miami 11/14
Int. TDs – 0
Fumble
recoveries – 3
Fumble
recovery TDs – 0
Forced fumbles
– 3
Tackles – 103
Postseason: 2 G
Sacks – 0
Interceptions
– 0
TD – 0
Awards &
Honors:
1st
team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, NEA, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News
1st
team All-AFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl
Bills went 12-4
to finish first in the AFC East while leading the conference in sacks (46),
fewest yards allowed (4578), and fewest points allowed (237). Won AFC
Divisional playoff over Houston Oilers (17-10). Lost AFC Championship to
Cincinnati Bengals (21-10).
Aftermath:
Bennett was
hampered by a knee injury in 1989 and had a lesser performance, but bounced
back to gain selection to four straight Pro Bowls in the ensuing seasons.
Versatile and capable of dominating play, he was part of an excellent corps of
linebackers for a club that won AFC Championships from 1990 through ’93. Bennett
remained with Buffalo through 1995 before moving on to Atlanta as a free agent
in ’96. He provided leadership as well as good play, despite some problems with
injuries and declining skills, and in 1998 again started for a team that
reached the Super Bowl. Bennett spent his last two seasons with the club that
originally drafted him, the Colts, in 1999 and 2000. Overall, he played in 206
regular season game over 14 seasons, 129 of those games coming in nine years
with Buffalo. Bennett recorded 71.5 sacks and over a thousand tackles,
recovered 27 fumbles, and received first-team All-NFL honors after two seasons,
at least some All-AFC honors after three others, and was named to five Pro
Bowls. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and the College
Football Hall of Fame.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
