Brian Banks gets workout with Seattle Seahawks

Thursday, June 07, 2012

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court case, long beach, los angeles news, leanne suter

Leanne Suter
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LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- It's Brian Banks' patience and perseverance that put him back on the football field trying out for the Seattle Seahawks in hopes of fulfilling a lifelong dream of playing in the NFL.

"Look where I am, look where I am today. I thank God for this and the last thing I want to do is be bitter," he said.

Banks was a 16-year-old football standout at Long Beach Poly High when his life took a terrifying turn as he was arrested and charged with rape.

"He was the next big linebacker for us. Character-wise he was great kid, never gave us any problems or anything. That's why when everything happened it was kind of a shock to us," said Banks former Long Beach Poly coach Raul Lara.

And an even bigger shock for came for Banks when a judge finally cleared him of the crime after he had already served five years in prison and another five on parole.

His accuser, Wanetta Gibson, admitted on camera at a private investigators office that she had lied about the incident. One of the first to reach out after Banks was exonerated was Seahawks coach Pete Carroll -- the same coach who more than a decade earlier had offered Banks a football scholarship to USC.

"Here's a young man who has opportunity to get a second chance at his dream, and I think he deserves it," said Carroll. "We're gonna give him a really good look and a serious look."

Lara says Carroll called him to ask about the 26-year-old Banks.

"Just like I told him, Brian is very athletic, and if he was working out like he was, which I truly believe he did, he's gonna surprise him," said Lara.

Banks says he knows he has a lot of work to do get back in the game, one he hasn't played in years, but the dream he had bury when he went to prison may soon be a reality.