Jim Benton (football player)
Encyclopedia
James Warren Benton was a record setting Arkansas
, Southwest Conference, NCAA and National Football League
pass receiver who was selected for the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team
. Benton was the first NFL receiver to gain more than 300 yards in a game, a record that stood for 40 years.
6-0 on a Benton touchdown
reception
and won its first official Southwest Conference championship.
In spite of his sophomore year statistics not being included, he finished his career with 83 receptions for 1,303 yards and 12 touchdowns. Despite fewer games and shorter period of sports eligibility compared to today (as well as less emphasis on passing in the era), his receiving statistics stand as the 12th best career total among Razorbacks. His 48 receptions remained a SWC record until 1963 and an Arkansas record until 1971. In spite of playing more than 70 years ago, he still ranks among the career receiving leaders in the history of Arkansas football.
Benton was selected to several All-America
teams following the 1937 season when he led the NCAA in receptions. In 1937, he set the NCAA record in pass receiving with 48 catches for 814 yards and 7 touchdowns. He was all SWC in 1936 and 1937. In 1937, he received the Houston Post
Award as the outstanding player of the year in the Southwest Conference, was named first team All American by the North American Newspaper Alliance
and was a member of the College All Star team. He was selected to the Arkansas All-Century team in 1994.
Benton also lettered in basketball
for the Razorbacks
in 1937 and 1938, with the team winning the 1938 Southwest Conference title.
, an NFL expansion team
, after being drafted number 11 in the first round
. He had a nine year career, all with the Rams except for one year with the Chicago Bears
. In 1941, he dropped out of pro football to coach
high school football
at Fordyce, Arkansas
but returned to the Rams in 1942.
In his first season with the Rams, he led the league with 19.9 average yards per catch, and was third in both receiving yards and touchdowns. He was named to the 1939 Pro Bowl
team after leading the league with seven touchdown receptions.
In 1943 due to the depletion of players called to military service, the Rams disbanded, and Benton who had been rejected for military service due to a heart murmur
, was loaned to the Chicago Bears. During the season, he caught two touchdown passes to help Sid Luckman
set the NFL single game record of seven touchdowns in defeating the New York Giants
and caught a touchdown pass in Chicago’s world championship victory over the Washington Redskins
.
In 1944, back with the Rams, Benton made NFL history by catching 8 consecutive passes for 3 TD’s against the Cardinal-Steelers
. At season's end, he was the second ranked receiver behind fellow Arkansas native Don Hutson
.
In 1945, in spite of playing only nine games, Benton ended the season leading the NFL with 1,087 yards receiving. He had 45 receptions and eight touchdowns. He averaged 118.6 yards receiving a game with his longest reception for 84 yards and a TD. He went over 100 yards receiving in six of his nine games. His most notable game was on Thanksgiving Day against the Detroit Lions
, catching ten Bob Waterfield
passes for 303 yards, helping the Rams win the divisional title. This broke Hutson’s single game record and stood as the NFL single game record for over 40 years. Benton had nine receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown in the Ram’s 15-14 victory over the Redskins in the World Championship game.
In 1946, Benton led the NFL with 63 receptions and with 981 yards receiving. During the season his most notable game was against the New York Giants when he had twelve receptions for 202 yards.
Benton was the top ranked NFL receiver in 1945 and 1946. He was consensus all-NFL in 1945 and 1946 and second team All Pro in 1939 and 1944. He was ranked among the NFL’s top five receivers in six of his nine seasons.
When he retired in 1947, Benton was the second leading receiver in pro football history with 288 receptions for 4,801 yards and 45 touchdowns. He had at least 11 games over 100 yards receiving (according to The ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia Second Edition), including a 300 yard game and a 200 yard game. He averaged 533 yards per season and 55 yards per game. Benton played on two world championships, 1943 with the Chicago Bears and 1945 with the Cleveland Rams. He led every major receiving category in the NFL at least once. After having retired about 65 years ago, he remains in the career top 10 major receiving and scoring categories for the Rams franchise.
In 2008, sports historian, writer, statistician, and archivist Sean Lahman
had Benton ranked as 54th best wide receiver in the history of the NFL in his award-winning book "The Pro Football Historical Abstract / A Hardcore Fan's Guide to All-Time Player Rankings".
. Also, in later years, at the request of George Halas
, he helped coach the Bears' receivers.
From 1951 to 1953, Benton was head coach
of the Arkansas A&M (now University of Arkansas at Monticello
), leading the team to their first ever Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference title in 1953 with a record of 7-1, and was named the AIC coach of the year in 1953 by the Arkansas Democrat.
After coaching, Benton went into the oil business.
, The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, and, in 1997 was named a Living Legend of Southeast Conference football. He was named to the Arkansas Razorback All Century Team, the Rams All Time Team and the NFL Hall of Fame 1940's All Decade Team.
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the names of college sports teams at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The term Arkansas Razorbacks properly applies to any of the sports teams at the university. The Razorbacks take their name from the feral pig of the same name...
, Southwest Conference, NCAA and 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...
pass receiver who was selected for the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team
NFL 1940s All-Decade Team
This is a list of all NFL players who have had outstanding performances throughout the 1940s and have been compiled onto this fantasy group. The team was selected by voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.-Offense:-External links:*...
. Benton was the first NFL receiver to gain more than 300 yards in a game, a record that stood for 40 years.
College career
In 1934, he began his college career at Arkansas and set receiving records unheard of at the time. In 1936, Arkansas defeated TexasTexas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
6-0 on a Benton 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:...
reception
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...
and won its first official Southwest Conference championship.
In spite of his sophomore year statistics not being included, he finished his career with 83 receptions for 1,303 yards and 12 touchdowns. Despite fewer games and shorter period of sports eligibility compared to today (as well as less emphasis on passing in the era), his receiving statistics stand as the 12th best career total among Razorbacks. His 48 receptions remained a SWC record until 1963 and an Arkansas record until 1971. In spite of playing more than 70 years ago, he still ranks among the career receiving leaders in the history of Arkansas football.
Benton was selected to several All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
teams following the 1937 season when he led the NCAA in receptions. In 1937, he set the NCAA record in pass receiving with 48 catches for 814 yards and 7 touchdowns. He was all SWC in 1936 and 1937. In 1937, he received the Houston Post
Houston Post
The Houston Post was a newspaper that had its headquarters in Houston, Texas, United States. In 1995, the newspaper was absorbed into the Houston Chronicle.-History:The newspaper was established on February 19, 1880, by Gail Borden Johnson...
Award as the outstanding player of the year in the Southwest Conference, was named first team All American by the North American Newspaper Alliance
North American Newspaper Alliance
The North American Newspaper Alliance was a large newspaper syndicate that flourished between 1922 and 1980.Founded by John Neville Wheeler, NANA employed some of the most noted writing talents of its time, including Grantland Rice, Joseph Alsop, Michael Stern, Lothrop Stoddard, Dorothy Thompson,...
and was a member of the College All Star team. He was selected to the Arkansas All-Century team in 1994.
Benton also lettered in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
for the Razorbacks
Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball
The Arkansas Razorbacks basketball team represents the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The school's team currently competes in the Southeastern Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2008...
in 1937 and 1938, with the team winning the 1938 Southwest Conference title.
Professional career
Benton began his NFL career in 1938 with the Cleveland RamsSt. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, an NFL expansion team
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
, after being drafted number 11 in the first round
1938 NFL Draft
The 1938 National Football League Draft was held on December 12, 1937. The draft consisting of 12 rounds and 110 player selections, began with the leagues newest expansion team the Cleveland Rams taking Corbett Davis and ended with the Mr...
. He had a nine year career, all with the Rams except for one year with the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In 1941, he dropped out of pro football to coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Fordyce, Arkansas
Fordyce, Arkansas
Fordyce is a city in Dallas County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 4,799 at the 2000 census.The city is the county seat, home to the 1911 Dallas County Courthouse .-Geography:...
but returned to the Rams in 1942.
In his first season with the Rams, he led the league with 19.9 average yards per catch, and was third in both receiving yards and touchdowns. He was named to the 1939 Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
team after leading the league with seven touchdown receptions.
In 1943 due to the depletion of players called to military service, the Rams disbanded, and Benton who had been rejected for military service due to a heart murmur
Heart murmur
Murmurs are extra heart sounds that are produced as a result of turbulent blood flow that is sufficient to produce audible noise. Most murmurs can only be heard with the assistance of a stethoscope ....
, was loaned to the Chicago Bears. During the season, he caught two touchdown passes to help Sid Luckman
Sid Luckman
Sidney Luckman, known as Sid Luckman, was an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League from 1939 to 1950...
set the NFL single game record of seven touchdowns in defeating 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...
and caught a touchdown pass in Chicago’s world championship victory over the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
.
In 1944, back with the Rams, Benton made NFL history by catching 8 consecutive passes for 3 TD’s against the Cardinal-Steelers
Card-Pitt
Card-Pitt was the name for the team created by the temporary merger of two National Football League teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Cardinals, during the 1944 season. The teams were forced to merge, because both had lost many players to World War II military service...
. At season's end, he was the second ranked receiver behind fellow Arkansas native Don Hutson
Don Hutson
Donald Montgomery Hutson was the first star wide receiver in National Football League history. He is considered by many to have been the first modern receiver....
.
In 1945, in spite of playing only nine games, Benton ended the season leading the NFL with 1,087 yards receiving. He had 45 receptions and eight touchdowns. He averaged 118.6 yards receiving a game with his longest reception for 84 yards and a TD. He went over 100 yards receiving in six of his nine games. His most notable game was on Thanksgiving Day against the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, catching ten Bob Waterfield
Bob Waterfield
Robert "Bob" Stanton Waterfield was an American football player.Waterfield attended Van Nuys High School, in Van Nuys, California and went on to play college football for UCLA. In 1943 he led the Bruins to the Pacific Coast Conference football championship...
passes for 303 yards, helping the Rams win the divisional title. This broke Hutson’s single game record and stood as the NFL single game record for over 40 years. Benton had nine receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown in the Ram’s 15-14 victory over the Redskins in the World Championship game.
In 1946, Benton led the NFL with 63 receptions and with 981 yards receiving. During the season his most notable game was against the New York Giants when he had twelve receptions for 202 yards.
Benton was the top ranked NFL receiver in 1945 and 1946. He was consensus all-NFL in 1945 and 1946 and second team All Pro in 1939 and 1944. He was ranked among the NFL’s top five receivers in six of his nine seasons.
When he retired in 1947, Benton was the second leading receiver in pro football history with 288 receptions for 4,801 yards and 45 touchdowns. He had at least 11 games over 100 yards receiving (according to The ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia Second Edition), including a 300 yard game and a 200 yard game. He averaged 533 yards per season and 55 yards per game. Benton played on two world championships, 1943 with the Chicago Bears and 1945 with the Cleveland Rams. He led every major receiving category in the NFL at least once. After having retired about 65 years ago, he remains in the career top 10 major receiving and scoring categories for the Rams franchise.
In 2008, sports historian, writer, statistician, and archivist Sean Lahman
Sean Lahman
Sean Lahman is an award-winning author and journalist.-Sports Research:He is most noted for the Lahman Baseball Database, a collection of baseball statistics for every team and player in Major League history...
had Benton ranked as 54th best wide receiver in the history of the NFL in his award-winning book "The Pro Football Historical Abstract / A Hardcore Fan's Guide to All-Time Player Rankings".
Coaching career
In 1948, Benton helped coach the Ram receivers, including future Hall of Famer Tom FearsTom Fears
Thomas Jesse Fears was a Mexican-American football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams in the National Football League, playing nine seasons from 1948 to 1956.-Early life:...
. Also, in later years, at the request of George Halas
George Halas
George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
, he helped coach the Bears' receivers.
From 1951 to 1953, Benton was head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the Arkansas A&M (now University of Arkansas at Monticello
University of Arkansas at Monticello
The University of Arkansas at Monticello is a public university and college for vocational and technical education located in Monticello, Arkansas, United States....
), leading the team to their first ever Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference title in 1953 with a record of 7-1, and was named the AIC coach of the year in 1953 by the Arkansas Democrat.
After coaching, Benton went into the oil business.
Hall of Fame
Benton was inducted into the Dallas County Sports Hall of Fame, the UAM Sports Hall of Fame, The Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor, The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, and, in 1997 was named a Living Legend of Southeast Conference football. He was named to the Arkansas Razorback All Century Team, the Rams All Time Team and the NFL Hall of Fame 1940's All Decade Team.