Thanks to bounties, concussions and arrests, there haven’t been a ton of feel-good stories bouncing around the NFL this offseason.
There might even be none if not for Brian Banks. Banks’ story is probably familiar to you by this point, but we might as well spin it out there one more time. Banks was a high school linebacker good enough to commit to USC as a junior before his life was derailed when he was accused and convicted of rape while still in high school. He spent time in jail and was still on house arrest in May when he was exonerated of any crime when his accuser admitted to fabricating the story.
Banks eschewed bitterness upon his release, choosing to channel his energy toward earning an NFL chance instead. He’s had several tryouts around the league, but no contract has come his way as yet. Banks tweeted out a reminder Tuesday that his story hasn’t reached its conclusion yet along with a little more gratitude for what he’s experienced over the last month.
I have a month to train, GET BETTER, and then the tryouts restart rt before camps. I'm determined, and relentless. I've already won 😏
— b r i a n b a n k s (@BrianBanksFREE) June 26, 2012
Banks later exchanged some tweets with Jay Glazer of FOX, who helps put several NFLers through mixed martial arts training when he isn’t yukking it up on Sunday mornings during the football season. Once camps start up, the hope is that this extra training helps land him a job. It’s a hope we share here at PFT.