Photo via BrianBanksFREE on Instagram
Brian Banks, the former Long Beach Poly High School football star who spent more than five years behind bars after being falsely accused of rape, signed with the Atlanta Falcons today–bringing the 27 year-old one step closer to achieving his dream of playing in the National Football League.
For the last six months, Banks has been playing for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League, the first player deal he signed since being exonerated of the crime in May 2012.
“My God, how amazing you all are…Thank you for accepting me into the family,” Banks said via Twitter this morning after signing a contract to wear jersey #53 with the Falcons.
Coach Smith, GM Dimitroff, Mr.Blank, and the #ATL players & personel.. #ThankYou for accepting me into the family.
— Brian Banks(@BrianBanksFREE) April 3, 2013
Banks was only 16 when a classmate accused him of rape in 2002, and 17 when he pleaded no contest to forcible rape in exchange for a six-year sentence–considerably shorter than the 41-year-to-life term he could have faced if he had gone to trial and been convicted. At the time of his arrest, he was fielding offers from some of the country’s top-tier football programs and was expecting to attend USC on a football scholarship.
After serving his sentence, the 6’2″, 250-pound linebacker was contacted by his accuser, Wanetta Gibson, on Facebook in an attempt to make amends. Gibson then admitted during a recorded conversation that she had lied and that Banks never raped her. The tape led to Banks’ exoneration.
Although he received some interest from NFL teams since his release–including from former USC coach Pete Carroll, now the head coach of the Seattle Seahawk–Banks went unsigned. His impressive performance with the Las Vegas Locomotives initated the Falcons deal.
“We are pleased to have Brian join our team,” Falcons General Manager Thomas Dimitroff said. “We had a chance to work him out last year and have been monitoring his progress since then. He has worked extremely hard for this chance over the last year and he has shown us that he is prepared for this opportunity. We are happy that Brian will have a chance to live out his dream of playing in the NFL and we look forward to seeing him on the field.”
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