When the Seattle Seahawks had their final two OTA sessions stripped by the NFL for rules violations, it seemed to have the unintended effect of throwing Brian Banks' tryout into limbo.
But even though there won't be a team activity Thursday, the Seahawks confirmed via the Sports Business Journal that Banks' tryout will go on as scheduled.
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Banks, 26, is the former blue-chip prospect now attempting to pursue an NFL career after a judge threw out his conviction on rape and kidnapping charges once his accuser admitted she lied.
Banks has ties to Seahawks coach Pete Carroll going back to Banks' days as a star linebacker for Long Beach Poly High School. Before Banks' arrest, Carroll had recruited him to play at USC.
Banks also has been invited to try out with the Washington Redskins after coach Mike Shanahan said the player "deserves an opportunity."
The Seahawks were forced to give up two scheduled OTAs (Wednesday and Thursday) and an additional offseason workout day (Friday) after the NFL found they engaged in live contact during a recent practice session, which violates the collective bargaining agreement between the league and players.
The Contra Costa Times reported that Banks is scheduled to appear on the "Tonight Show" before he flies to Seattle for his tryout. Banks had turned down other media requests to focus on football but apparently couldn't resist the charms of Jay Leno's chin.
UPDATE: Carroll told Seahawks.com on Wednesday that Banks is "a young man that has an opportunity to get a second chance at his dream." He said the team also would give Banks a legitimate evaluation: "I just think he deserves it, and we're going to give him a really good look and a serious look, and if he does well and we like him, we're going to try to get him to come to minicamp (next week)."
