At 17, Brian Banks had what high school juniors dream of. Ranked 11 th nationwide as middle linebacker, the Californian had committed to play football at the University of Southern California after a series of offers from other Division 1 schools.
All of that went away the day he was wrongfully convicted of ****.
Now, at age 27, after spending five years in prison, five on probation and receiving an exoneration, Banks revived his dream and signed on to the Atlanta Falcons on Wednesday.
"I can't believe this is happening. It's surreal," he said in a conference call to Atlanta and national media shortly after signing his contract. "Aside from getting my life back and my freedom back, this is the biggest accomplishment of my life. But it is also just the beginning."
In 2002, Banks was accused by a friend of **** and kidnapping. After waiting a year to stand trial and despite a lack of DNA evidence, he pleaded no contest in order to avoid a possible 41-year sentence. The plea deal resulted in five years behind bars.
After he was released from jail in 2007 at the age of 22, he was placed on probation. The restrictions outlined that he had to register as a sex offender, could not live within 2,000 feet from any school or park, and he had to keep a GPS device around his ankle to ensure that he did not leave the state.
One day, he received a friend request on Facebook from the woman who had started it all.
"She was hoping that we could allow bygones to be bygones," Banks told "60 Minutes."
Upon meeting with her twice, he and a private detective were able to tape a retraction in which she stated, "No, he did not **** me."
On May 24, 2012, he was exonerated by the same judge who put him behind bars nine years earlier.
the second half of this seasons schedule doesn't look too bad, so hopefully we can halt a second half collapse and get 10-11 W's.
