Football is recognized for its hard-hitting nature. It's not a game for the faint of heart. Vicious hits are celebrated, and there is no mercy once the ball is snapped.
Offensive players, in particular, have to be built to take the brutal punishment they will receive every time they take the field. But defenders have to be able to catch those players first — something opposing defenses have struggled to do ever since Brandon Banks started playing football at age 7.
The 5-foot-7, 142-pound Banks is one of the smallest players in all of college football. He insists that he is over 150 pounds now, but it is hard to believe while looking at him.
A life of questioning
Banks has a chip on his shoulder — a crater-sized chip to put it best — that has been growing his whole life from people telling him football was not his sport.
He didn't weigh 100 pounds until his sophomore year in high school.
"I get underestimated a lot," Banks said. "I've been underestimated a lot in life. I just use it as a motivation and keep going."
He has overheard the critics, and he said he strives to prove them wrong.
It's a trait he learned from his father, Daryle, who gained custody of him and his sister when Banks was in the sixth grade.
"He taught me to be tough and to not listen to other people and what they have to say," Banks said. "He taught me to just go out there and to not worry about how big and how small people tell you that you are. Just go out there and play like you have all your life."
Success on the field
Size didn't stop Banks from becoming a star on the football field.
He was a four-year starter and two-time all-conference selection at Garner High School in North Carolina. He was named the Greater Neuse River Conference Player of the Year and his team's Most Valuable Player his senior year.
His performance got him a scholarship offer from the University of Tennessee, who he initially signed with to play football.
Banks was also a track star in high school. He was named to the 2006 USA TODAY All-USA high school track and field team after posting the fastest 200 meter time in North Carolina.
"Football was my first love," Banks said. "I was just running track as a second sport. But I was doing so well in track, I kind of took it more and more seriously like I did in football."
Tennessee wanted Banks to compete in track and football, and the plan was to do just that, but Banks instead decided to attend Bakersfield (Calif.) Community College.
He set three of Bakersfield's single-season receiving records his sophomore year with 93 receptions for 1,397 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. He is also the school's all-time leader in career receptions with 107.
The mind-blowing numbers he posted on the football field had college coaches from around the country ignoring his size and sending out scholarship offers.
Kentucky, California and North Carolina State were just a few of the programs that sent offers to Banks.
But he chose to sign with the Wildcats. The rest is history.
A strong start
Banks is hungry to prove critics wrong, and he's off to a great start this season, leading K-State in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Coach Ron Prince says it's Banks' willingness to compete that makes him special.
"I think Brandon is an incredibly competitive young person," Prince said. "I can't imagine that when he came to Kansas State it was the first time that someone commented that he was small, and I think because of that, he's become very competitive."
Prince has been pleased with what Banks has provided the offense so far.
"He came here with his mindset that he was going to help the team in some capacity, whether it was in the kicking game or on offense," Prince said. "I can say that not only has he made the plays that have come to him but he's added a little extra to them. And I think that's a very necessary and needed element to our offense."
He hasn't lost a beat since his move from junior college.
He ranks fifth in the country in receiving yards per game with 112. He ranks 18th in the country with 336 receiving yards, and his five touchdowns place him among the top five in all of college football.
"We've known what kind of player he was since spring camp," quarterback Josh Freeman said. "We've got to continue to get him the ball and let him do what he does."
Banks said his size gives him an advantage against other teams.
"I think I have the advantage over a lot of guys because they look at me and see my size and say, 'I'm going to kill him,'" Banks said. "And that is going to make it worse for them, because I'm just going to use my speed and my ability to make them miss."
Moving past the murmurs
It is hard to imagine how someone so small could have so much heart, but spend a few minutes around Banks and it is easy to figure out.
He has shown his teammates and everyone around the country that size doesn't matter. But no matter what he does, there are also going to be a fair share of doubters.
"I don't really think about it anymore, because after people have seen what I have been able to do, they have to look past my size," Banks said.
His second dream is to someday play in the National Football League. He looks up to small guys in the NFL like Santana Moss and Dante Hall as inspirations.
He already has accomplished his first dream.
He is playing football at K-State.
K-State can bank on Banks
Published: Saturday, September 27, 2008
Updated: Saturday, September 27, 2008
1 comments
Haji
Do your thing ATM
