Facts:  Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson was arrested around 5 a.m. on Sunday, July 17, 2011 in Austin, Texas.  Benson allegedly walked up to his former roommate on the street, asked to speak with him about past issues, and then began punching him in the face.  The victim allegedly was left bleeding from the mouth with serious swelling and may have lost teeth in the incident.  

Benson has previously been arrested for driving while intoxicated and, believe it or not, boating while intoxicated.  While this is purely speculation on my part, altercations that happen at 5 a.m. on the street are likely the result of alcohol consumption.  

Legal:  Benson has been charged with a Class A misdemeanor assault.  The state of Texas will have to prove that Benson “intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly caused bodily injury to someone else.”  (Be careful: there are other ways to commit assault, sometimes by simply threatening bodily harm!)  This is a fairly easy case for the prosecutor to prove, since it happened in public in the presence of others and the victim was left bloody and swollen.  Benson faces up to 1 year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.

Analysis:  Though very few of us will ever be professional athletes, there is still an important lesson or two to be taken away from Mr. Benson’s night on the town.  In every news story that I read on Benson, the discussion always turned to what this new arrest would mean for his next NFL contract.  Benson is a free agent, and if the NFL does have a season in 2011, Benson will be marketing his services in search of a new contract.  Benson saw a resurgence in the 2009 and 2010 seasons and was a lock to sign a new contract once the 2011 season was back on.  Now, some aren’t so sure.

If you are not a millionaire professional athlete, you may be wondering how Benson’s legal troubles might apply to you.  The truth is - no matter what profession you one day enter or hope to enter, past legal troubles will always interfere.  You will have to pass background checks and remain drama-free while you are employed.  No employer wants to be associated with someone who is drinking and fighting on the streets at 5 a.m.  Such incidents reflect poorly on the employer and show a genuine lack of mature decision-making by the employee.  

To be fair, no one is perfect.  It’s not always easy to avoid trouble in life.  While one mistake along the way may end your employment or educational prospects, there is value in learning from past mistakes and ensuring that you do not repeat them.  Benson, however, is showing no signs of growing up and learning from his transgressions.  He was fortunate that his employer was able to overlook his first two arrests and give him a third chance.  He made the most of it by rediscovering his passion for football.  Now, after his third arrest, the league may refuse to give him a fourth 

chance.  

Very few of us are able to have three chances to do what we love.  Do not follow in Benson’s footsteps and continue to make the same mistakes. If you find yourself on the wrong end of the law - even once - make sure that it ends there.   The best advice is to avoid bad situations when possible and save yourself the nightmare of even one arrest.