Arrelious Benn, WR

What began as a career with much promise ended with little fanfare for Benn, who decided that despite an injury-plagued 2009 personally and a frustrating season by the entire Illini offense, it was time to leave the collegiate ranks and test his skills at a higher level.

The 2009 campaign proved to be Benn's most difficult. He spent more time in the trainer's room than on the practice field. Just three plays into the season, he suffered a high ankle sprain that would linger throughout the season. He also suffered thigh and head issues, missing part of the Michigan State game after suffering a concussion and leaving the Penn State game after having the wind knocked out of him while making a diving grab.

Despite the rash of injuries, Benn managed to lead the team in receptions for the third consecutive year in 2009. Even though his career lasted just three years, Benn ranks tied for fourth in Illinois history with 159 catches, placing sixth on the school's all-time record list with 2,221 receiving yards. His kickoff-return average of 23.67 yards rank fourth in Illini annals and he placed fourth on the university's career-record chart with 3,613 all-purpose yards.

Benn was a five-star recruit coming out of Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C., where he competed as a wide receiver, running back, safety and linebacker. He was named USA Today, Parade and Super Prep All-American first-team, adding 2006 D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year honors. He was the recipient of the EA Sports' Walter Payton Award, given annually to the most-dedicated high school athlete.

The two-time All-Metropolitan selection by the Washington Post was also chosen Super Prep's Mid-Atlantic Offensive Player of the Year. He was rated the 17th-best player in the country by both Rivals.com and ESPN.com and ranked as the nation's second-best receiver and second-best DC-area player by Rivals.com. He also received a five-star rating by Scout.com and was ranked 19th overall on Prep Star's Top 100 Team, in addition to adding Super Prep Elite 50.

Benn caught 50 passes for 1,147 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior, becoming the first player in school history to gain over 1,000 receiving yards in a season. In his final season, he pulled down 56 passes for 1,039 yards and nine touchdowns. He also averaged nine yards a carry, rushing for three touchdowns, as he led his team to four straight Turkey Bowls. Following his career, Benn was invited to play in the 2007 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Coveted by most major colleges during the 2007 recruiting wars, Benn chose Illinois over the University of Maryland, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Miami, and Florida State University. He graduated from high school early, joining the Illini for 2007 spring drills.

However, he suffered a right shoulder dislocation during an intra-squad game in fall camp. He would miss more than a week of fall drills due to the injury and would dislocate the shoulder again in the Wisconsin and Iowa games, requiring surgery to repair after the season.

Benn still put together an impressive first season. He was named Freshman All-American second-team and chosen Big Ten Conference Fresh-man of the Year. The All-Big Ten first-team choice led the team with 54 receptions for 676 yards (12.52 yards per catch) and two touchdowns.

He was utilized often out of the backfield, as he rushed for 158 yards on 32 attempts. His 28.0-yard kickoff-return average ranks third on the school season-record list. He also added four solo tackles while averaging 85.69 all-purpose yards per game.

Benn earned All-Big Ten first-team honors from the media as a sophomore. He generated 1,668 all-purpose yards, the third-best season total by an Illini player. He ranked third in the conference with 67 receptions, the fifth-best season total in school annals. He posted 1,055 aerial yards (15.75 yards per catch), becoming the first Illini to reach 1,000 yards receiving since 2002. He also averaged 19.9 yards on 20 kickoff returns and 7.6 yards on 15 punt returns.

Benn served as team captain for the second-straight year in 2009. Despite his injuries, he still earned All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention. He paced the Illini with a career-low 38 receptions for 490 yards (12.9 yards per catch) that included two touchdowns. He added another score rushing and averaged 26.5 yards per kickoff return, the fifth-best season average by an Illinois player in school annals.

In mid-December, 2009, Benn announced that he was forgoing his final season at Illinois to enter the 2010 NFL Draft. Both his mother and coaching staff had wished he would return to school. His mother, Denise Benn, had publicly said that she would like for her son to come back to Illinois for his senior season. "My mom will always speak her opinion," Benn said. "She'll speak out like any mother would do. She just cares about me and my education."

Had Benn returned to Illinois in 2010, he might have had an opportunity to play football with his older brother. The Illini offered a scholarship to Trulon Henry, a 25-year-old defensive back at the College of Dupage. Henry spent nearly five years in prison for armed robbery. But the prospect of further injuries seemed to have affected Benn's decision. "Injuries always happen," Benn said. "Even with the injuries, I got to play through all the games. It's just football. I have the type of football to endure that."

Release: Good quickness off the line; lines up in the slot and outside. Good upper-body strength to beat the jam. Presses corners playing off and able to accelerate or use his hands to run by them. Doesn't have the top-end speed to separate from NFL starting corners but makes room using his strength.

Hands: Excellent hands on the jump ball; owns superior body control and vertical ability. Willing to make catches in traffic when in the slot. Adjusts to poor throws; capable of tracking over either shoulder. Loses concentration on simpler passes, however, when getting himself out of position or trying to make a move too early.

Route running: Sharp cut and good head fake on slant pattern. Makes quick cuts on double-moves and can weave his way through defenders in zone to find the open space. Aware of the sideline, often getting two feet in when one is enough. Lazy on out routes, rounding off instead of using his foot quickness to head directly to sideline. Doesn't consistently work past the first down marker or back to a quarterback in trouble. Must accelerate to the ball in open space; doesn't run out every route.

After the catch: Very strong runner with excellent balance after the catch, spinning off tackles and using a stiff arm to keep would-be tacklers away. Has the vision to find openings in space. Owns good speed and hits holes hard when possible, but isn't a burner; can be caught from behind without a great angle. Tough runner and good vision as a kickoff returner, as well; adept at keeping his balance and his legs churning after initial contact.

Blocking: Has the build to effectively negate corners on the edge and flashes explosiveness as a blocker, but effort is inconsistent. Gets the correct angle to create space for his ballcarrier. Needs to attack defenders more often instead of waiting for them, and keep his legs moving once engaged to sustain the block.

Intangibles: Scouts will grill coaches about Benn's effort in practice, as it wasn't always evident on the field. He has worked hard in the weight room, however, and reportedly earned more of a leadership role in his junior season. Played through sprained right ankle after the season opener.

NFL Comparison: Anquan Boldin, Cardinals

Benn started 35-of-37 games at Illinois, as the split end served as team captain in each of his last two years … Caught 159 passes for 2,221 yards (13.97 yards per catch) and seven touchdowns, adding 282 yards and three scores on 62 carries (4.55 yards per catch) … Returned 42 kickoffs for 994 yards (23.67-yard average) and one touchdown, as he also returned 15 punts for 114 yards (7.6 avg) … Recorded eight solo tackles and generated 3,613 all-purpose yards, an average of 13.00 yards per touch (278 attempts) and 97.65 yards per game … His 159 receptions tied John Wright (1965-67) for fourth on the school career-record list … His 67 catches in 2008 rank fifth on the Illini season-record chart behind David Williams (101 in 1984, 92 in 1985 and 69 in 1983) and Mike Martin (77 in 1982) … Benn's twelve receptions vs. Minnesota in 2008 rank third in Illini annals behind David Williams (16 at Purdue, 1985) and Keith Jones (13 vs. Michigan State, 1988) … His 2,221 yards receiving placed sixth in school history, topped by David Williams (3,392), Brandon Lloyd (2,583: 1999-2002), Walter Young (2,382; 1998-2002), Mike Martin (2,300: 1979-82) and John Wright (2,284; 1965-67) … Became the fourth player in school history to gain over 1,000 yards receiving in a season, as his 2008 total of 1,055 yards rank fifth on the season-record list behind David Williams (1,278 in 1984 and 1,156 in 1985), Mike Martin (1,068 in 1982) and Brandon Lloyd (1,062 in 2001) … Benn's 181 yards receiving vs. Minnesota in 2008 placed fifth on the school game-record chart, surpassed by David Williams (208 vs. Northwestern, 1984 and 188 vs. Minnesota in 1983), Mike Sherrod (191 vs. Indiana, 1980) and Rex Smith (188 vs. Iowa, 1952) … Produced five 100-yard receiving performances, seventh-best on the Illini career-record list, as all five came during the 2008 campaign (ranking fifth on the school season-record chart) … His kickoff return average of 23.67 yards rank fourth on the team career-record chart and his average of 28.0 yards in 2007 rank third on the annual record list … Gained 3,613 all-purpose yards at Illinois, ranking behind only Robert Holcombe (4,737 yards, 1994-97), Pierre Thomas (4,451, 2003-06) and Keith Jones (4,206, 1985-88) on the Illini career-record list … His 1,668 all-purpose yards in 2008 are topped by only Rashard Mendenhall (1,999 in 2007) and Keith Jones (1,818 in 1988) on the school's season-record chart.

All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention … The team captain was a member of the Biletnikoff Award preseason watch list, as he started 11-of-12 games at split end, seeing limited action vs. Illinois state after suffering a right high ankle sprain on the third place from scrimmage in the season opener vs. Missouri … Re-injured the ankle vs. Michigan and left the Penn State clash in the final moments after getting the wind knocked out of him making a diving catch … Still managed to lead the team with 38 receptions for 490 yards (12.90 yards per catch) and two touchdowns, his lowest output in three years at the university … Ran seven times for 23 yards (3.29 yards per catch) and a score … Returned 12 kickoffs for 318 yards, as his average of 26.5 yards per attempt tied for fifth on the school season-record list … Also made a solo tackle vs. Ohio State … On 57 chances, he recorded 831 all-purpose yards, an average of 14.58 yards per attempt and 69.25 yards per game … Had 65 passes targeted to him (caught 58.46%), as three pass attempts were deflected by the opposition … Just 19-of-38 receptions produced first downs, as he converted 5-of-14 third-down tosses and caught seven passes inside the red zone, including four on goal-line plays … Had 15 receptions for at least ten yards, including eight for 20 yards or longer … Credited with key receptions that led to five Illini touchdowns and on one possession that ended with a field goal … Had his streak of 25 consecutive games with at least one reception snapped when he saw limited action in the Illini's second game vs. Illinois State.

Named fourth-team All-American by Phil Steele … Added All-Big Ten Conference first-team accolades from the media and second-team recognition from the league's coaches … Was named one of the team's captain and chosen Illini Most Valuable Player … Ranks third on the school season-record list with 1,668 all-purpose yards, ranking fourth in the league and 31st nationally with an average of 139.00 yards per game … Led the team with 67 catches (fifth on the school season-record list), becoming the fourth player in school history to gain over 1,000 yards receiving (1,055) in a season, averaging 15.75 yards per reception with three touchdowns … Added two more scores and 101 yards on 23 carries (4.39 yards per catch), 398 yards on 20 kickoff returns (19.9 avg) and 114 yards on 15 punt returns (7.6 average) … Also recorded three solo tackles, with two stops vs. Eastern Illinois and another vs. Louisiana-Lafayette … Gained over 100 yards receiving in five games and had at least one reception in each of twelve games … His 87.92 yards per game receiving ranked second in the Big Ten and his 5.58 receptions per game placed third among conference players.

Benn was the unanimous selection for Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year honors, adding All-Big Ten first-team honors … Named to The Sporting News' Freshman All-American second-team … Started every game, as his 676 yards receiving broke the old school freshman season-record of 511 yards by Brandon Lloyd in 1999 … Led the team with 54 receptions (12.52 yards per catch), topping the previous Illini freshman season-record of 43 grabs by Ty Douthard in 1993 … Ranked 15th in the league with an average of 4.15 receptions per game and 16th with 52.0 yards receiving per contest … Utilized out of the backfield often, Benn carried 32 times for 158 yards (4.94 ypc) and returned 10 kickoffs for 280 yards … His average of 28.0 yards per kickoff return rank third on the school season-record list and his 90-yard return for a touchdown vs. Penn State was the 10th-longest kickoff return in school annals.

2007: Missed more than a week of August camp after he dislocated his right shoulder in an intra-squad scrimmage, when he was tackled by linebacker Rodney Pittman after making a catch on 8/11 … The injury would bother him most of the season, as he twice dislocated it in competition (vs. Wisconsin on 10/06 and the following week Iowa on 10/13) … Would undergo surgery on 1/08/08 to repair the dislocation … Suffered a concussion vs. Ohio State (11/10) and while he played the following week, he was still dealing with issues from the head injury and missed most of the second half of the North-western clash (11/17).

2008: Suffered a head contusion vs. Penn State (9/27).

2009: Suffered a right high ankle sprain on the team's third play from scrimmage in the season opener vs. Missouri (9/05), missing the rest of the game … Re-injured his ankle in the Michigan clash (10/31) … Left the Penn State game (10/03) with four minutes remaining after having the wind knocked out oh him after making a diving catch.

Campus: 4.45 in the 40-yard dash … 1.55 10-yard dash … 2.53 20-yard dash … 4.5 20-yard shuttle … 11.73 60-yard shuttle … 7.12 three-cone drill … 31-inch vertical jump … 9'9" broad jump … Bench pressed 225 pounds 19 times.

Attended Dunbar (Washington, D.C.) High School, playing football for head coach Craig Jefferies … The five-star recruit competed as a wide receiver, running back, safety, and linebacker … Named USA Today, Parade and Super Prep All-American first-team, adding 2006 D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year honors … Recipient of the EA Sports' Walter Payton Award, given annually to the most-dedicated high school athlete … The two-time All-Metropolitan selection by the Washington Post was also chosen Super Prep's Mid-Atlantic Offensive Player of the Year … Rated the 17th-best player in the country by both Rivals.com and ESPN.com … Ranked as the nation's second-best receiver and second-best DC-area player by Rivals.com … Received a five-star rating by Scout.com and was ranked 19th overall on Prep Star's Top 100 Team, in addition to adding Super Prep Elite 50 … Caught 50 passes for 1,147 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior, becoming the first player in school history to gain over 1,000 receiving yards in a season … In his final season, he pulled down 56 passes for 1,039 yards and nine touchdowns … Also averaged nine yards a carry, rushing for three touchdowns, as the Crimson Tide to four consecutive Turkey Bowls … Following his career, Benn was invited to play in the 2007 U.S. Army All-American Bowl …

Graduated with a 3.25 grade point average.

General Studies major … Older brother, Trulon Henry, was a 25-year-old defensive back at the College of Dupage (2008-09) … Son of Denise Benn … Nickname is "Rejus" … Born Arrelious Markus Benn on 9/08/88 … Resides in Washington, D.C.