Albert bentley career stats

American football player (born )

American football player

Albert Timothy Bentley (born August 15, ) is take in American former professional football artiste who was a running sustain in the National Football Confederation (NFL) and the United States Football League (USFL). Bentley began his professional career in say publicly USFL with the Michigan Panthers and Oakland Invaders from destroy After the USFL folded, do something played for the NFL's Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers deprive to Bentley played college interest for the Miami Hurricanes.

Early life

Albert Bentley was born back number August 15, , in Immokalee, Florida one of twelve family. He attended Immokalee High Faculty where he was a frontier on the football team limit a member of the rassling and track and field teams. In his senior year, elegance was named Most Valuable Artiste on all three teams.^[1]

On loftiness football team, Immokalee only won two games during Bentley's higher ranking year. However, Bentley rushed target nearly 1, yards.^[2] He solitary received one football scholarship insinuation from Findlay University in River. He declined that offer challenging chose to attend the Routine of Miami without a education after speaking with then-head tutor Lou Saban. Saban encouraged Bentley to try out and meet the possibly of earning skilful scholarship.^[3]

College career

Prior to Bentley's appearance, Saban left Miami following loftiness season and was replaced indifference head coach Howard Schnellenberger. Bentley was a freshman walk-on parallel Miami in , and apophthegm limited playing time.^[4] In unornamented Miami junior varsity game surface Florida State, Bentley nearly reciprocal a kickoff for a deplaning before a Florida State entertainer came off the sidelines fully tackle him near the contribution zone. The referees did whine see the infraction, but excellence Miami coaching staff took significance of his playing ability.^[2] Significant saw varsity action as a-okay kick returner throughout the repose of the season.

Bentley earn the football team during distinction season, opting to focus deviation his studies.^[3] He returned retrieve the season, and again apophthegm limited action as a non-scholarship player. He recorded 10 rush attempts for 53 yards become more intense nearly scored before fumbling picture ball at the goal select. Most of Bentley's playing put off came on kickoff and stake coverage.^[5]

In the spring of , Schnellenberger offered Bentley a training for his junior season. Purify shared fullback duties with Close Neal and recorded 64 carries for yards and one touchdown.^[5]

In his senior season, Bentley became the Hurricanes' leading rusher be introduced to attempts for yards and fin touchdowns. He also caught 32 passes for yards and flavour touchdown. With quarterback Bernie Kosar and Bentley leading the company, the Hurricanes went on probity regular season finishing ranked #5 in the AP poll. They earned a place in authority Orange Bowl against then-undefeated station #1-ranked Nebraska. In the ordinal quarter, Bentley rushed for what became the winning touchdown go with the Orange Bowl. Miami lively at the end of character third quarter, but Nebraska scored two touchdowns in the abode quarter and opted for top-notch two-point conversion on the in response touchdown, which failed. Miami won and were named consensus not public champions with an record.^[6]

Bentley was inducted into the University draw round Miami Sports Hall of Repute in ^[6]

Professional career

In January , Bentley was selected by primacy Chicago Blitz with the ordinal overall selection in the USFL Draft.^[7] However, Bentley's contract merchandiser with the Blitz stalled closest the draft. As the USFL season got underway, the Manoeuvre traded him to the Cards Panthers who were looking turn over to replace running back Ken Reticulated after he moved to loftiness NFL.^[8] Bentley signed with nobility Panthers and began his planed career in the USFL.

Bentley was later selected by loftiness Indianapolis Colts in the especially round (36th overall) of blue blood the gentry NFL Supplemental Draft.^[9]

Michigan Panthers/Oakland Invaders ()

Bentley signed with the Stops Panthers on April 17, , following week eight of loftiness USFL season. Bentley was reflexive mostly as a backup comport yourself back while also returning kickoffs for the remaining 10 bolds of the season. Bentley transcribed 18 carries for 60 yards and returned 19 kickoffs quandary yards on the year.^[10] Distinction Panthers went in the everyday season and lost to depiction Los Angeles Express in justness Divisional Round of the playoffs.

In , the Panthers assemblage merged with the Oakland Invaders and continued playing under representation Invaders name. Bentley stayed shrink Oakland, where he led class team with rushes for 1, yards and four touchdowns, from way back adding 44 catches for yards and three touchdowns.^[10] The Invaders went on the regular period and defeated the Tampa Bark Bandits and Memphis Showboats barred enclosure the playoffs to earn organized spot in the USFL Help Game. The Invaders lost accost the Baltimore Stars in what became the USFL's final operation.

Indianapolis Colts ()

Following the cease of the USFL, Bentley sign a contract with the Indianapolis Colts on September 3, Greatness Colts had selected Bentley compile the NFL Supplemental Draft remarkable retained his NFL playing rights.^[11]

In his first year with rectitude Colts, Bentley appeared in 15 games with 54 rushes cooperation yards and two touchdowns for ages c in depth returning 27 kickoffs for yards and a career-high yard haunt return.^[12] In week five averse the Buffalo Bills, Bentley canned his first yard rushing about in the NFL with 17 carries for yards.^[13] Bentley scored one rushing touchdown each calculate the final two weeks operate the season against the City Bay Buccaneers and Houston Oilers, respectively. The Colts went financial credit the season.^[14]

In , Bentley lengthened to serve as a patronage to Randy McMillan, splitting as to throughout the season with Martyr Wonsley while also returning kickoffs. He recorded 73 carries yen for yards and three touchdowns revive 25 receptions for yards. Bentley had 32 kick returns take to mean yards, averaging yards per return.^[12] Bentley missed four games astern being placed on injured select with a calf muscle cut, but still managed to put right the Colts' second-leading rusher sovereign state the season.^[15] The Colts afoot the season at , onrush head coach Rod Dowhower limit replacing him with Ron Meyer. Meyer won the final join games, ending the Colts' course at ^[16]

In , Bentley confidential his best statistical season expect the NFL. However, a pristine Colts running back and significance player's strike stood in emperor way. The NFL canceled adept week three games and lazy replacement players for weeks cardinal through six. At the end of the strike, the Colts traded for running back Eric Dickerson.^[17] Bentley was Dickerson's assist for the remainder of rendering season, but still produced take away the 12 games he arised with rushes for yards come first a career-high seven rushing touchdowns. He added 34 receptions transport yards and two touchdowns determine also returning 22 kicks to about yards.^[12] The Colts won significance AFC East Division at explode earned their first playoff fly since moving to Indianapolis. They lost in the NFL playoffs Divisional Round to the Metropolis Browns.^[18]

By , Dickerson was charming the majority of the snaps at running back leaving Bentley to start only two jubilation. Dickerson led the league train in rushing, and Bentley found trig complimentary role in the Colts' offense. He appeared in perfect 16 games with 45 carries for yards and two touchdowns and added 26 receptions care yards and one touchdown. Monkey a kick returner, Bentley byword his largest career workload be equal with 39 returns for yards.^[12] Nobleness Colts finished with a note, but missed the playoffs.^[19]

For illustriousness season, the Colts moved conform a two-running back formation focus on Bentley saw an uptick perceive his playing time. He concluded the season with 75 haste attempts for yards and connotation touchdown and had 52 receptions for yards and three touchdowns. Bentley joined wide receivers Andre Rison and Bill Brooks orang-utan the first trio in Colts history to record receiving yards each in one season.^[20] Leadership Colts finished the season smash into

In , Bentley was arrival productive on the ground abstruse had his best season chimp a pass catcher. He renovate carries for yards and unite touchdowns and added career-highs eradicate a team-leading 71 receptions aim yards and two touchdowns. Apportion the second consecutive season, Bentley was part of a triptych of Colts receivers with wash yards, the others being Brooks and Jessie Hester. The Colts finished the season at ^[21]

In , Bentley injured his press in a preseason game accept the Philadelphia Eagles. He missing week one, and upon potentate return in week two powder suffered a knee injury anti the Miami Dolphins. Bentley was placed on injured reserve playing field missed the rest of honourableness season.^[20]

Bentley was prepared to careful over the Colts starting representation capacity with the departure of Dickerson after the season. Bentley comed in all four of blue blood the gentry Colts preseason games, but crash lingering doubts about his genu he was released on Venerable 31, ^[22]

Pittsburgh Steelers ()

Bentley shipshape with the Pittsburgh Steelers conclusion September 16, ^[23] Bentley exchanged one kickoff for 17 yards in two appearances with probity Steelers before being released patch up November 16, ^[12][24]

Professional career statistics

USFL statistics

NFL statistics

Personal life

Bentley returned to Florida upon distant from the NFL. He lives in Naples, Florida where explicit works as a financial consultant.^[6][20]

References

External links