Brian Banks, who briefly joined the Falcons, had a r*pe charge against him dropped after 16-year-old girl confessed that the heinous crime never happened

Banks was exonerated of all charges in 2012 and briefly played in the NFL.

Brian Banks, who briefly joined the Falcons, had a r*pe charge against him dropped after 16-year-old girl confessed that the heinous crime never happened

Brian Banks (via Sports Illustrated)

False allegations of s*xual assault have become a dirty tactic to derail the careers of athletes with immense potential. Matt Araiza, the former punter for the Buffalo Bills was the latest victim to these allegations but he was lucky, when compared to Brian Banks, the former linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons who served jail time after he was falsely accused of r*ping a minor.

Brian Banks had a bright future ahead of him, he played linebacker at the Long Beach Poly High school and owing to his elite skillset, the University of Southern California had granted him a full scholarship. It was a dream come true. Banks was well on his way of realizing his lifelong dream of being a professional athlete in the NFL. But his life took a turn for the worse when his classmate, Wanetta Gibson accused him of r*ping her.

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Brian Banks faced conviction at the age of 17. What’s more shocking is there were no witnesses to testify that he did it, there was no DNA evidence to corroborate Gibson’s statements, and the only options left before Banks was to either serve a sentence of 10 years by signing a plea deal or risk being tried as a major and spend the most of his life behind bars.

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Brian Banks never allowed his adversity to destroy his dreams of playing in the NFL

With a heavy heart, Banks opted to serve 10 years and pleaded no contest. His sentence began on his 18th birthday. He served over five years of his sentence and at that point, a miracle happened. His accuser recanted her statement and testimonies thereby rendering him innocent. As a result, Banks was no longer a convict, the truth was finally out, he was a free and innocent man with a bright future ahead of him who ended up losing everything because of a false testimony.

Brian Banks
Brian Banks (via ABC News)

After his release, Brian Banks attempted to fulfill his dream if playing in the NFL. He was given an opportunity to do so by trying out for the Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, and the San Francisco 49ers. He was ultimately signed by the Atlanta Falcons and played in 4 preseason games for the team. But he was released after that. Though his NFL career was short-lived, he got an opportunity to experience playing at the highest level.

Since then, Brian Banks has made it his life’s mission to raise awareness on false convictions. He is now an inspiration to those struggling with similar situations and he is urging them to never give up and continue to fight for justice. His story has been turned into a movie titled Brian Banks. His story sheds a light on the flaws that can be exploited in the justice system and ruin the lives of innocent men.

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