AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson has been charged with drunken driving after being arrested for the second time in just more than a month.

Authorities said Benson was arrested early Saturday in downtown Austin after he failed a field sobriety test. The former Texas star was charged with driving while intoxicated and was released on bond.

The arrest comes a month after Benson was charged with boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest. He has said that neither charge is true, and the cases are pending.

Austin police spokeswoman Veneza Aguinaga said Benson refused to take a breath test or provide blood samples Saturday. She did not know what initiated the traffic stop.

Benson was a first-round pick in 2005 and started 11 games last season.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.