As one of the most highly recruited middle linebackers in the nation, he had a verbal commitment to play on full scholarship for Pete Carroll at USC. “I would go to these football camps and just dominate,” Banks says. “I was being arrested and accused of kidnapping and rape,” he says. “I had my own mailbox at school because I was getting so many recruiting letters.” MYERS: EX-JETS GREAT WESLEY WALKER 'IN PAIN EVERY DAY' Life isn’t fair, Banks says over and over in the life-coach talks he gives now, a devastating message that took flight for Banks on July 8, 2002. “We met, hugged, started talking and agreed to go to an area on our campus that was known as a make-out area,” Banks says. We never had sex.” By the end of the day, Banks was in custody, accused of raping Gibson on the school’s campus. “I was taken into custody that same day and the judge put a bail on me that was too high for me to post bond. He was taking summer classes at his high school and left the classroom for what was supposed to be a quick call to a documentary crew preparing a feature on the rivalry with De La Salle High School in Northern California. It was over As one of the most highly recruited middle linebackers in the nation, he had a verbal commitment to play on full scholarship for Pete Carroll at USC. “I would go to these football camps and just dominate,” Banks says. “I was being arrested and accused of kidnapping and rape,” he says. || As one of the most highly recruited middle linebackers in the nation, he had a verbal commitment to play on full scholarship for Pete Carroll at USC. “I would go to these football camps and just dominate,” Banks says. “I was being arrested and accused of kidnapping and rape,” he says. “I had my own mailbox at school because I was getting so many recruiting letters.” MYERS: EX-JETS GREAT WESLEY WALKER 'IN PAIN EVERY DAY' Life isn’t fair, Banks says over and over in the life-coach talks he gives now, a devastating message that took flight for Banks on July 8, 2002. “We met, hugged, started talking and agreed to go to an area on our campus that was known as a make-out area,” Banks says. We never had sex.” By the end of the day, Banks was in custody, accused of raping Gibson on the school’s campus. “I was taken into custody that same day and the judge put a bail on me that was too high for me to post bond. He was taking summer classes at his high school and left the classroom for what was supposed to be a quick call to a documentary crew preparing a feature on the rivalry with De La Salle High School in Northern California. It was over $1 million.” He languished in juvenile hall for an entire year before his case came up. “I stepped outside to make the phone call and I ran into a classmate of mine,” Banks says. He was to be tried as an adult and if found guilty, faced 41 years to life. *** After turning down three plea deals that would have put him in prison for 25, 18 or nine years, Banks was told on the day of jury selection “that I had no chance in trial because I was a big, black teenager and the jury would be an all-white jury and they would automatically assume me as guilty because of that,” Banks says. As the jury was about to be selected, Banks was offered a deal to plead guilty to one count of rape under the condition that the other charges would be dropped. If you think you might have been at risk for an STI or HIV. million.” He languished in juvenile hall for an entire year before his case came up.“I stepped outside to make the phone call and I ran into a classmate of mine,” Banks says. He was to be tried as an adult and if found guilty, faced 41 years to life. *** After turning down three plea deals that would have put him in prison for 25, 18 or nine years, Banks was told on the day of jury selection “that I had no chance in trial because I was a big, black teenager and the jury would be an all-white jury and they would automatically assume me as guilty because of that,” Banks says. As the jury was about to be selected, Banks was offered a deal to plead guilty to one count of rape under the condition that the other charges would be dropped. If you think you might have been at risk for an STI or HIV.
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