Crusader

After serving five years in jail for a crime he didn't commit, former high school football star Brian Banks will finally have the chance to live out his NFL dream.

NFL insider Jay Glazer originally reported that the Atlanta Falcons had signed the linebacker to a contract, and the team later confirmed the news

The signing comes just 10 days after 60 Minutes aired a feature on Banks, detailing the young man's false imprisonment after being accused of raping and kidnapping a high school classmate in 2002. Banks ended up serving a five-year jail sentence and four years of probation before being exonerated last year, according to Jaime Uribarri of the New York Daily News.

The linebacker had a number of NFL tryouts last year before ultimately signing with the Las Vegas Locomotives of the UFL.

The Falcons obviously saw something in the former prep star, so he will now have an opportunity to play at the NFL level. Banks worked out for the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs last year, and while none of those teams offered him a contract, he was undeterred.


After what Banks has gone through over the past decade or so, it should come as no surprise that his perseverance has led him to this point.

Banks almost certainly would be well into his NFL career by now if not for his wrongful jail stint. But now he's playing catch-up due to the fact that he missed part of his high school career and never had the opportunity to play college ball at USC, the school he verbally committed to.

Banks is still only 27 years old, though, and his talent is undeniable. The 2012 UFL season was cut short due to financial issues, so Banks was unable to show NFL teams what he could do in game situations, but the Falcons had obviously seen enough to give him a shot.

There is no guarantee that Banks will make the team, but just getting the chance to do so has to feel good for a man that had the best years of his life taken away from him.

Atlanta Falcons Sign Falsely Imprisoned High School Football Star Brian Banks | Bleacher Report

He might be the only Falcon I'll ever pull for.

W.T. Sherman is my favorite General. After all he did order Atlanta to be burned to the ground.

SloMotion

It's a great human interest story & I'm rooting for him. Doesn't change my opinion of the Falcons any. We're still good though, Crusader, .

TheOak

And that knocks their cap space down to $1M.

Beastmode

Good. Seems like some PR stunt but I hope it isn't. The sad part is L.A. prosecutors have no plans to charge the woman for making false accusations. What a great way to prevent this from happening again. She gets to keep the settlement and never has to go to jail.

K Major

+1. Yeah, it boggles my mind too when I read that about her. She should be 'under' the jail.

QBREES9

I pray this kid makes it !

atltillidie

I hope he makes the roster. He deserves to be on an NFL team.

SloMotion

Yeah, as long as I remember the Falcons have been in need of players with good character.

Mardigras9

Hope it works out for him. However, wouldn't be surprised if being in prison wasn't the initial draw for the Falcons.

D_it_up

I was rooting for this guy to be picked up since I read his story. I'm glad he's getting a second chance. However, I don't see much difference with him being in prison and being a member of the Falcons.