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September 27, 2012

Brian Banks
Brian Banks

Cleared Convict Hopes This Train Will Take Him to the NFL

by Frederick H. Lowe
Brian Banks’ pro football career is back on track after he signed a contract with the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League.

Banks, who will play linebacker, last Thursday signed a standard one-year deal for $28,000, Larry Weisman, spokesperson for the UFL, tells The NorthStar News & Analysis.

Banks, now 26, at one time was considered by college scouts to be one of best high school football players in the country. He planned to attend the University of Southern California  and play for the Trojans on a football scholarship. Playing for USC would be a step to playing in the National Football League, he thought.

Then life temporarily sacked his game plan.

Wanetta Gibson accused Banks, then 17, of rape, sodomy and kidnapping. The two attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, Calif. Vaginal and rectal swabs used to detect semen did not find any from Banks in Gibson’s body.

Despite the lack of  physical evidence, Banks was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution. He served five years in prison and another five years on probation. He was also required to register as a sex offender.

“There was a point in my life where I literally had to put football aside to survive in prison,” Banks said. “I came home in 2007, went to junior college, and then had to wear a GPS tracking device and I could not play football. But I never lost faith and I never lost that passion for it.”

While on probation, Banks received a Facebook friend message from Gibson. In a later meeting between the two, Gibson admitted that she made up the rape so her mother would not know she was sexually active. After hearing the new evidence, a judge overturned Banks’ conviction.

The 6-2, 245-pound Banks then hoped to start a career in professional football. He tried out with several NFL teams, including the Seattle Seahawks, San Diego Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs.

“I had an opportunity to work out with NFL teams, was evaluated, got constructive criticism on what I needed to work on,” Banks said during a news conference on Thursday after the morning practice.“I was pleased to have a call from coach Jim Fassel and an offer to play in the UFL. This is a big step to my overall pursuit of playing in the NFL. I think this is the best way to gain experience. I thank God for this opportunity.”

Fassel, who is also the Locomotives president and general manager, said Banks showed a special toughness to overcome his ordeal.

Locomotives logo
Locomotives Logo
“This is not a game for the faint-hearted,” Fassel said. “Now, I can only imagine the toughness he has had to show over the last however many years. For him to clearly set his goals and go after them, he’s mentally tough. He has all the characteristics you want of someone on your team. Now we just have to get him back into the game.”

The UFL, which is based in Jacksonville, Fla., was founded in 2009. It is considered the second professional football league to the NFL, but it is not part of the NFL. Four teams comprise the UFL. In addition to the Las Vegas Locomotives, they are the Sacramento Mountain Lions, the Omaha Nighthawks and the Virginia Destroyers.

Many former NFL players and coaches are in the UFL.

Fassel, formerly coached the New York Giants. Marty Schottehheimer, who coaches the Virginia Destroyers, formerly coached the Washington Redskins. Dennis Green, who coaches the Sacramento Mountain Lions, coached the Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals.

Some former NFL players who play or played in the UFL are quarterbacks Daunte Culpepper and Jeff Garcia.

The UFL season opened Wednesday, September 26, with the Destroyers, the defending champions, playing the Locomotives in Las Vegas. Each team plays eight games. The season-ending championship game is December 1. The Locomotives won the first two championships.

The CBS Sports Network, the cable home of CBS Sports, and the UFL signed an agreement in July for the network to televise UFL games.

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