first test PASS!! now Brian gets a chance to work out with the team at mini camp next week... this kind of thing is great to hear about in the NFL instead of players paid to injure others...

Brian Banks was a high-school football star and was heavily recruited by colleges in the early 2000s. That is, until a childhood accused him of kidnapping and raping her on their school campus. Pleading no contest to the charges, he was convicted and spent more than five years in prison and five more years on probation.


His conviction, however, was overturned two weeks ago when the alleged victim recanted her story, saying she made it up. Now exonerated of rape, Banks wanted to finally realize his dream: to be a professional football player.

After the rape conviction was thrown out, the Seattle Seahawks were the first to give him a chance. They invited Banks to work out with the team. And even though the Seahawks were barred from having an organized team activity Thursday, due to an unrelated penalty by the NFL, the former linebacker worked out for head coach Pete Carroll at the Seahawks practice facility in Renton.

Wearing a sweatshirt that said “XONR8″ on the front, he passed the Seahawks’ first test.

Seattle has invited him to participate in the team’s minicamp next week, so he can continue to show them his stuff. Banks’ dream is alive for at least another week.


“He deserved a chance. Given other circumstances he would have earned it in front of our eyes, but this is a guy who just deserved it,” Carroll said after the tryout Thursday.

Below are some photos from Banks’ tryout, and from the court hearing when his conviction was overturned. You can read more about his story elsewhere on seattlepi.com.

http://blog.seattlepi.com/football/2012/...he-test/#5699-3