Tag: LeCharles Bentley

Two-time Pro Bowler LeCharles Bentley is our Saints Player of Day 65

Two-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman LeCharles Bentley is our Saints Player of Day 65. Injuries shortened his career, but he has a strong legacy:

We’ve been counting down the days to the start of the New Orleans Saints’ 2024 regular season by profiling each player on the roster in the corresponding jersey number, but there isn’t anyone currently wearing No. 65. So instead, we’re shifting gears to cast a light on one of the players who wore it best: LeCharles Bentley.

Bentley, the team’s second-round pick in the 2002 NFL draft (out of, where else, but Ohio State) , started 14 games at guard in his rookie year and was named a Pro Bowler in 2003. He moved back to his college position, center, in 2004 and was again voted into the Pro Bowl the following season. But he left to sign with the Cleveland Browns as a free agent in 2006 and suffered a career-ending knee injury that summer. Multiple surgeries and a close call with a serious infection kept him from ever playing a snap in Cleveland.

These days Bentley works with the NFL as its senior advisor of player performance and development, an opportunity he earned after founding the L. Bentley O-Line Academy in Ohio. It’s one of the few training facilities specializing in working with offensive linemen, and the resources Bentley has made available have helped send some impressive players to the pros.

Bentley also founded AMDG Sports, an agency focused solely on representing offensive linemen (including current Saints players Shane Lemieux and Justin Herron). He may not have enjoyed a long-running career himself as a player, but Bentley has done a lot to ensure he’ll be proud of his legacy in pro football.

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Highest-rated Browns in Madden video game history

Our guy @joshkeatley16 did the hard work and found the highest-rated Browns in Madden video game history #Browns #Madden

It was recently announced that Myles Garrett was going to be joining the 99 club for the upcoming Madden 23 game and he deserves it, but it had me thinking, what other Cleveland Browns were rated this high?

A couple of things to keep in mind when going through this list. I am only using release ratings. I felt it was only fair to use the ratings that were used during the release of the game as players like Jamir Miller, Tre Johnson, and Courtney Brown didn’t get the benefit of the fancy online mid-season updates.

It is also important to note that even though the Madden game has been released every year since 1988, I only used the ratings from 1999 and sooner. There are a few reasons for this as the first is anything before that year is very hard to find, honestly, Madden 2000 ratings were almost impossible to find online, but the second reason is early game ratings were wild. Players didn’t have an overall, they just had a few traits and they only went up to 15. For reference, Bernie Kosar did not have an overall but did have an 11 in passing range and 12 in passing accuracy.

Also keep in mind that the Madden games are named for the year when the season is complete, so Madden 23 is actually for the 2022 season. The following are the 11 highest-rated Cleveland Browns in Madden video game history, I will only name each player once based on their highest rating, so Joe Thomas despite being rated high for his entire career will only be listed once:

Fun fact before we start, the Browns have never had a quarterback hit the 90 overall range since coming back.

Former Ohio State player LeCharles Bentley named NFL

Former Ohio State center LeCharles Bentley has been named the NFL’s Senior Advisor of Player Performance and Development Friday.

There are former Ohio State players all over the game of football. Whether it be in the NFL as players, in the media, or as personnel or coaches, there’s plenty of scarlet and gray flavor in the DNA of the most popular sport in America — at all levels.

On that note, former Ohio State center LeCharles Bentley has been named the NFL’s Senior Advisor of Player Performance and Development.

According to the news release from the NFL on Friday, Bentley’s role is one that “will advise NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent, Sr., on player performance and the development of resources, enhancements, metrics and best practices designed to enhance the game. He will also work closely with NFL youth, high school football and other key stakeholders to promote the growth of football across all levels,”

“I’m honored to be able to use cutting-edge research and data to assist leadership at the NFL in player protection and risk reduction throughout all levels of football.” Bentley said in a released statement. “Under the leadership of Roger Goodell and Troy Vincent, along with head coaches around the NFL, we are committed to growing and enhancing the game of football all over the world.”

Bentley played for Ohio State under John Cooper from 1998-2001, winning the Rimington Trophy as the country’s best center his last year. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the second round 2002 NFL draft and appeared in two Pro Bowls before a severe knee injury ended his career.

Congrats are in order for Bentley.

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LeCharles Bentley named NFL Senior Advisor of Player Performance

LeCharles Bentley named NFL Senior Advisor of Player Performance and Development

For a brief time, LeCharles Bentley was poised to be a bedrock component of the Cleveland Browns offensive line. Alas, a terrible injury prevented Bentley from ever suiting up for his hometown Browns.

Bentley has stuck with football, helping create the burgeoning offensive line-specific training sessions. Now he’s back in the NFL as the new Senior Advisor of Player Performance and Development. The league announced the move in a press release on Friday.

“I’m honored to be able to use cutting-edge research and data to assist leadership at the NFL in player protection and risk reduction throughout all levels of football.” Bentley said in a statement. “Under the leadership of [Commissioner] Roger Goodell and Troy Vincent, along with head coaches around the NFL, we are committed to growing and enhancing the game of football all over the world.”

Bentley signed with the Browns as a prized free agent in 2006 but suffered a patellar tendon injury on the very first play of training camp. The surgery to repair the tear was not successful and resulted in an infection that cost Bentley his playing career and nearly cost him his leg.

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NFL hires former Saints Pro Bowler LeCharles Bentley to senior player development role

Former New Orleans Saints Pro Bowler and Ohio State Buckeyes All-American LeCharles Bentley has taken a senior advisory role with the NFL.

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Here’s a familiar name for longtime Saints fans: LeCharles Bentley has been named the NFL’s Senior Advisor of Player Performance and Development, the league announced on Friday. New Orleans’ second round pick out of Ohio State in the 2002 NFL draft, Bentley was selected for two Pro Bowls until a 2006 knee injury with the Browns cut his career short.

He soon retired and began a career in coaching offensive linemen, with his private O-Line Performance Center in Arizona quickly becoming a priority destination for the nation’s best pros and top college prospects. He’s preached about rethinking the ways football players — especially the big men in the trenches — are developed and coached up, so it makes sense for him to take on this new role.

According to the NFL’s media release, Bentley’s responsibilities will include advising “on player performance and the development of resources, enhancements, metrics and best practices designed to enhance the game. Additionally, he will work closely with NFL youth and high school football and other key stakeholders to promote the growth of football across all levels.”

It’ll be fascinating to continue covering Bentley’s career as he takes this next step. He’s been an advocate of making the game safer and smarter, so look out for updates and changes he could help introduce in the years ahead.

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