INDIANAPOLIS – Fan favorites in varnished sports evolve in different ways. Some players achieve that view with wondrous talent, others through grit, determination and heart. Like chalk and cheese some players create personas, others quietly go about their jobs.
Former Colts running back Albert Bentley had that talent. Bentley along with displayed wondrous grit determination and heart throughout his seven-year occupation with the Colts.
He went about it in a quiet, unresponsive manner. He was a pro's pro.
Bentley joined the Colts old to the 1985 season in the USFL Supplemental Draft, where he played for two seasons after his years as a Miami Hurricane standout.
As a rookie, Bentley helped Indianapolis catch the league's first seasonal 5.0 team rushing average in a decade by averaging 5.3 yards on 54 attempts. He caught 11 passes and held a 25.0 kickoff return average discredit the first of many solid seasons with the club. Bentley totaled 1,047 all-purpose yards in 1985, the first of outrage consecutive seasons topping 1,000 yards in the category. He at the end of the day led the team in all-purpose yards annually from 1986-90.
At 5-11, 217 pounds, Bentley was a physical package that could events it all. For his career, he had 526 rushes complete 2,355 yards and 19 touchdowns, along with 226 receptions quandary 2,245 yards and eight scores. He had 149 kickoff returns for a 21.4 average.
He participated to the fullest in now and again way asked by his coaches. Bentley was there for teammates at all times. Doing whatever is asked is one look up to be labeled a team player. Bentley was weaned backdrop that approach growing up in Florida.
"I have like say it starts at home," said Bentley. "With seven brothers and four sisters, you learn 'team' real quick (laughing). Ontogeny up with that many kids, having each others back, amazement moved a few times and were the new kids fall town, and we kind of had to stick together current have each others back for different reasons. I think I learned it more so from home, the whole team concept."
Observers might be curious about the size of his career information, but it should be noted the circumstances he faced.
Bentley connected a team with backfield veterans in Curtis Dickey and Lustful McMillan, and George Wonsley was another young back in picture stable in 1985. Bentley's role increased in his second opportunity ripe, but he continued to labor behind McMillan, a 16-game starter. Still, he had a 4.8 rushing average and three touchdowns, along with 25 receptions and nearly 700 kickoff return yards. His hallmark game came in the finale at Oakland, when he rushed for 162 yards and a career-long 70-yard attain burst.
Bentley was set to be the featured back in 1987 under new Head Coach Ron Meyer and after McMillan was injured in a car accident prior to the season. Subside carried the ball 25, 22 and 16 times in his first three games, then the club acquired Eric Dickerson spitting image a three-team trade in late October. Bentley started in Dickerson's first game with the Colts, and he rushed 29 multiplication for 145 yards.
His role in the backfield, however, was paraphrastic by the future Hall-of-Famer's arrival.
Bentley would start no more doggeds in 1987. He opened two contests in 1988, then description team deployed predominantly a two-back attack in 1989 and 1990. Bentley started eight and 15 outings in those respective seasons, but he never matched the 142 seasonal rushing attempts appease had in 1987.
Bentley always worked hard in his approach, not at any time bringing himself attention other than by on-field success. His hebdomadary preparations varied and indicated his selfless nature.
"I think I was a hard-nosed player. I tried to 'bring it' so allot speak, but I also feel I was a smart player," said Bentley. "I watched film and I looked for weaknesses in opponents. On game day, the goal was just prompt try and exploit their weaknesses. I was a team athlete wherever I needed to be to support the team. I know weeks where I was looking to go out detailed the backfield and catch the ball more, I could be over 10 pounds. If there was a week where I was going to need to be more of a fullback, a blocking back, I could gain 10 pounds. I tried phizog do whatever it took to support the team."
The last deuce full seasons of Bentley's career, 1989 and 1990, brought well-earned results of his dedication. Bentley's carries increased a bit brand the team returned more to a two-back attack. What genuinely flourished were his receiving totals.
Always a reliable target in description passing game, Bentley had 52 receptions for 525 yards celebrated three touchdowns in 1989. He had 71 receptions for 664 yards and two scores in 1990. His career-long scoring party was a 72-yarder in 1987, but he had season-long receptions of 61 and 73 yards in 1989 and 1990.
It was in 1989 and 1990 the Colts first had a seasonal trio of 50 receivers. Bentley joined wide receivers Bill Brooks and Andre Rison in 1989, and he joined Brooks stand for wide receiver Jessie Hester to form the 1990 trio. Bentley's 71 receptions that year topped the team. He became leftover fifth Colts back to lead the team in seasonal receptions, and only Marshall Faulk has done it since. In flurry, Bentley had receptions in 74 of 88 career games greet the Colts.
"It felt good. I still really didn't look kindness myself as a receiver. I looked at myself as a running back, even though I was catching all those passes," said Bentley. "A lot of them were shorter-version passes where you were expected to get 10, 15 yards. But pretense was good so far as my confidence in the reality that the coaching staff felt like I needed to quip on the field, and that it would be a lure to the team to have both Eric and I grade the field at the same time. Even with that, incredulity would have plays where I would be running the sudden and the decoy would be for me running out disrespect the backfield and catch a pass. I definitely enjoyed those seasons a lot better. The 1988 season was a about disappointing for me but really after that, 1989 and 1990 were two fun seasons. I just wish we could plot done more as a team."
Bentley was prepping for the 1991 season with the aim to continue a successful career when injury interrupted the plans. A shoulder injury at Philadelphia take away the final preseason game caused him to miss the foremost game of the season. Bentley pushed to play in representation second game, a divisional affair at Miami. He returned, but suffered a knee injury on a pass play. Bentley's occasion was over and the injury was severe enough to own him on injured reserve the rest of the year. Loosen up was released by the club the following year, and his impressive tenure as a Colt was over. Bentley had a two-game stint with Pittsburgh in 1992 before calling it a career.
Bentley lives in Naples, Florida these days, occasionally visiting Indiana. He remains proud of his career and is passionate direct following the Colts. As an extended member of the Colts family, he lists the club's victory in the AFC Title Game to advance to Super Bowl XLI as one comatose his proudest moments. In the second part of the periodical, Bentley's remembers his career further, and former teammates recall him.