The Falcons Brian Banks talks about his prison ordeal

Rich Eisen and his guest Atlanta Falcons linebacker Brian Banks had a very powerful conversation today as the two men talked about his amazing adventure to get to the NFL. Banks spoke to Eisen about being a once a highly-touted college recruit, who was falsely accused and convicted of two counts of rape and kidnapping charges by a fellow classmate.

The process would take 10 years before his conviction was overturned and he was exonerated by the State of California. Now a free man, Banks is trying to fulfill a goal of playing in the NFL.

Banks appeared in-studio on The Rich Eisen Podcast this week – which is available for download on NFL.com and iTunes. 

Click here to listen to the entire interview between Banks and Eisen.

Here are some of the highlights:

On how he is in his life right now:

“I’m just in a really good place in my life now compared to where I was a year ago being on parole for a sex offence that I didn’t commit; serving five years in prison and another five years on parole. Fast-forward a year later, here I am a free man, my record clear, my family in good spiritual and physical health, and here I am playing football for the Atlanta Falcons trying to make a 53-man roster. It’s been really fast-paced, but it’s been a dream come true and beyond.”

On how his life has been ‘fast-paced’:

“Just what I’ve been successful at accomplishing and doing in a year. I feel like from the UFL to the NFL, to clearing my name; to being able to travel and the interviews and the press; having a feature film deal in the works right now and a documentary in the works right now; speaking at different places. Going from a ‘nobody’ to a ‘somebody,’ it’s just been so much that has been taking place in a year. It’s been busy but it’s been good.”

On how he is prioritizing his life:

“Football is number one. I chose for it to be number one. A lot of people ask me why am I not angry, why am I not disappointed, why don’t I want revenge? I feel like you can be angry but how you channel that energy and what you direct it towards is up to you. Instead of me sitting on my back with my hands out asking for somebody to pay for what’s happened to me, I feel like the best revenge is success. So I chose to put on a hardhat and go to work rather than put on a sad face and complain. It’s been one of those situations where I said football will be something that I will put my all into, I will make a 53-man roster, and so that’s been [my] number one priority.”

The quotes used in this story were provided by the NFL Network.