Drew Bennett
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:BLP sources Template:Use American English Template:Infobox NFL biography
Andrew Russell Bennett (born August 26, 1978) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2001.
Bennett was also a member of the St. Louis Rams and Baltimore Ravens. He retired prior to the 2009 season due to a knee injury.
Early yearsEdit
Bennett attended Miramonte High School in Orinda, California, and was a three-sport standout in football, baseball, and basketball.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> As a senior football quarterback, he won first-team All-League and second-team All-Bay Area honors, after he passed for 2,308 yards and 18 touchdowns and rushed for six touchdowns. In baseball, he batted .430 and won first-team All-League honors.
College careerEdit
Bennett was offered a scholarship to play at Princeton University in New Jersey, but turned it down to attend the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He was a walk-on as a quarterback and elected to redshirt the 1996 season. He was awarded a scholarship for the 1997 season and switched positions to become a wide receiver for his junior year. He played both wide receiver and quarterback in his senior season and won the Paul I. Wellman Award for All-Around Excellence. He graduated from UCLA with a major in Political Science, and is also a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.Template:Cn
Professional careerEdit
Tennessee TitansEdit
From 2001 to 2006, Bennett played wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans, becoming a full-time starter. During the 2004 season he tied an NFL record by scoring eight touchdowns in a three-game span.
St. Louis RamsEdit
In 2007, Bennett became a free agent and signed with the St. Louis Rams. He signed a six-year deal worth $30 million, with $10 million guaranteed. He played his two guaranteed seasons with the Rams before being released on February 25, 2009.
Baltimore RavensEdit
Bennett signed with the Baltimore Ravens on July 24, 2009, to a one-year, $745,000 contract.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He retired on July 26, 2009, due to a flare-up of a previous knee condition.
NFL career statisticsEdit
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
Regular seasonEdit
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 2001 | TEN | 14 | 1 | 46 | 24 | 329 | 13.7 | 50 | 1 |
| 2002 | TEN | 16 | 7 | 64 | 33 | 478 | 14.5 | 53 | 2 |
| 2003 | TEN | 12 | 8 | 54 | 32 | 504 | 15.8 | 48 | 4 |
| 2004 | TEN | 16 | 16 | 144 | 80 | 1,247 | 15.6 | 48 | 11 |
| 2005 | TEN | 13 | 10 | 109 | 58 | 738 | 12.7 | 55 | 4 |
| 2006 | TEN | 16 | 15 | 98 | 46 | 737 | 16.0 | 39 | 3 |
| 2007 | STL | 14 | 1 | 73 | 33 | 375 | 11.4 | 24 | 3 |
| 2008 | STL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 4 | 0 |
| 102 | 58 | 589 | 307 | 4,412 | 14.4 | 55 | 28 | ||
PlayoffsEdit
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 2002 | TEN | 2 | 2 | 14 | 10 | 143 | 14.3 | 33 | 1 |
| 2003 | TEN | 2 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 65 | 16.3 | 24 | 0 |
| 4 | 3 | 21 | 14 | 208 | 14.9 | 33 | 1 | ||
Post-NFL career and personal lifeEdit
Bennett has appeared on ESPN's First Take (hosted by Jay Crawford) as recently as March 24, 2010, as an NFL analyst alongside Bobby Carpenter.
Bennett now resides in San Ramon, California.