Exonerated football player to get NFL tryout with Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks have confirmed they will hold a tryout for Brain Banks, the former California high school football star who was freed from prison after serving five years for a rape case in which he was falsely accused.

The former Long Beach Poly linebacker had a verbal agreement for a full scholarship to USC before a childhood friend falsely accused Banks, now 26, of attacking her on their high school campus.  Banks pleaded no contest to the charges at the advice of his attorney.

Last Thursday, a judge threw out the conviction that sent banks to prison for more than five years after the woman recanted her story and Banks recorded it.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll— who was at USC when Banks was offered the full ride— did not speak to reporters after the Seahawks' off-season workout on Wednesday, but the team confirmed that Banks will work out for the team on June 7.

Other NFL teams have shown interest in giving Banks a shot at his dream— after the story was all over the news last week— including the Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, and Miami Dolphins.

Banks is confident he can still make an NFL team and has been working out in preparation of pursuing his dream and reclaiming almost ten years of his life.  At 26, Banks is one year shy of the the average age of an NFL player.  So there's still hope.

The reversal of the decision was won by the California Innocence Project, which took the new evidence back to Superior Court judge Mark C. Kim— who presided over the original case.

Banks' ties to former USC coach Carroll make a good story.  Let's hope the wronged young man can make the team.