You may or may not have heard of Brian Banks, a top prospect out of Long Beach Polytechnic High School back in 2002, but you will now as Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks are reportedly showing some interest in him depsite the fact he hasn't played football in over a decade.
Banks was wrongly convicted of rape in 2002, spending six years of his life in jail and another four as a sex offender. But the victim, Wanetta Gibson, and the state of California recently exonerated him of all of his charges, making Banks truly a free man once more. Now all he wants is to get back to the game he loves.
Banks been keeping his body busy and in rather excellent football shape despite not taking the field in years, still able to do some impressive things as the tremendous athlete he is.
dead-lift 545 pounds, box jump 55 inches flat-footed, broad jump 10-plus feet and run a 4.6 40, all at 6-foot-2 and 245 pounds. NFL trainer Gavin Macmillan, who has volunteered to train Banks for free, says he has a shot. "You see him run and you can see why USC wanted him."
Seattle is not the only team interested in Banks' services as the Redskins and Chiefs are also giving him a workout, though none of the teams are guaranteeing him anything.
"I'll make 'em happy," says Banks, who's been training non-stop since October. "After all I've been through these last 10 years, I can still do some things that will impress you."
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