The Washington Redskins, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawksall have reached out to Brian Banks, ESPN's Rick Reilly reported.
Banks is a former blue-chip prospect from Long Beach Poly High School who is attempting to pursue an NFL career after a judge threw out his conviction on rape and kidnapping charges once his accuser admitted she lied.
The 6-foot-2, 245-pound Banks has been training for a shot at the NFL since October, according to Reilly, and has a workout scheduled with the Seahawks on June 7, the final day of the team's organized team activities.
The Seahawks later confirmed to The Associated Press that the workout will take place.
Seattle's interest in Banks isn't surprising. Before his 10-year ordeal, which included five years in prison and five years of electronic monitoring, the middle linebacker had been offered and accepted a scholarship by then-USC coach Pete Carroll. (Ohio State and Michigan also were interested in Banks).
Carroll has frequently used the background he obtained in recruiting players to USC in the Seahawks' efforts to acquire players. Carroll's familiarity with West Virginia's Bruce Irvin, a high school dropout who spent time in a juvenile detention center, played a key role in the team's decision to use the 15th overall pick on the defensive end in April's draft. While there are no guarantees that Banks will earn a contract offer from the Seahawks or any team that brings him for a tryout, he does deserve a chance, and Carroll has consistently given players he's familiar with at least that.
"I'll make 'em happy," Banks says. "After all I've been through these last 10 years, I can still do some things that will impress you."
