Kelvin Banks cements his status in Longhorns history by winning Lombardi Award
Texas’ massive left tackle becomes fourth player in school history to win national award
Kelvin Banks Jr. was already on pace to become a first-round NFL Draft pick this spring. Now, the Texas starting left tackle can some extra hardware to guarantee it.
Banks won the Lombardi Award on Wednesday night during a ceremony at the Hilton Americas in Houston. The award is presented annually to the best lineman in college football.
Banks became the fourth player in UT history to win the award but first offensive lineman to do it. Other winners include Kenneth Sims (1981), Tony Degrate (1984) and Brian Orakpo (2008).
The burly 6-foot-4, 320-pounder had the seventh-highest pass blocking grade of all FBS tackles graded by Pro Football Focus.
Banks edged out LSU’s Will Campbell, Penn State’s Abdul Carter and South Carolina’s Kyle Kennard.
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“The main thing I was thinking was definitely please call my name,” Banks said in a statement. “Like I said before, if the other guys would have won, I would have been just as happy for them. I feel like we are a great group of guys who came today.”
Banks was also named the SEC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner, presented annually to the league’s best blocker as voted on by the SEC coaches.
Banks is a three-year starter who has started in 39 straight games for the Longhorns. He received multiple weekly honors this season, including the Outland Trophy national player of the week on Oct 15 and the SEC offensive lineman of the week twice.
Banks also has an incredible family story as well. His mother, Monica, discovered a blood clot in her heart and was forced to stay in an Oklahoma hospital for two months. She slipped into a coma but recovered.
In January, Monica Banks lost the ability to talk and walk. She was considered terminal and placed in hospice care. But in July, doctors removed her gall bladder and her body responded. She began speaking and getting stronger. Monica Banks was able to return to Royal-Memorial Stadium this season to watch her son and the Horns reach the SEC championship game.
Kelvin Banks is picked by most mock draft services to be one of the top offensive tackles taken in the NFL Draft. This really isn’t a surprise for those who have followed Texas.
Banks was a five-star prospect when he signed with Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and thought by many to be the first “big human” Sarkisian needed to start his turnaround project in Austin.
