Career
He played college football at Hamline University. He played professionally in American Football League for the Oakland Raiders (1967–1969) and in the National Football League for the Raiders (1970–1971), the Atlanta Falcons (1972–1973), and the Houston Oilers (1974–1976). He was the executive director of the Minnesota Business Partnership from 1994 to 2003.
Benson owns and operates a cattle farm outside of Lanesboro, Minnesota.
Benson served in the Minnesota Senate, as a Republican, from 1980 to 1994 and was the Senate Minority Leader for a period during that time.