Tennessee Football: Why the Vols should give Jeremy Banks a second chance
Tennessee Vols head coach Jermey Pruitt made the right choice in early October when he dismissed running back/linebacker Jeremy Banks from the team. Banks was arrested in September due to an outstanding traffic warrant. The video of the arrest showed Banks making some troubling comments to the arresting officer. There's certainly no excuse for what […]
Tennessee Vols head coach Jermey Pruitt made the right choice in early October when he dismissed running back/linebacker Jeremy Banks from the team.
Banks was arrested in September due to an outstanding traffic warrant. The video of the arrest showed Banks making some troubling comments to the arresting officer.
There's certainly no excuse for what Banks did and said. And he suffered a major consequence for it.
But it seems as though the arrest, and Banks' subsequent removal from the team, has been a massive wakeup call for the Memphis native.
Banks has remained enrolled in classes at Tennessee. And judging by social media posts, he's been working hard to stay on the right path.
The situation with Banks reminds me of some comments that Nick Saban once made about giving second chances.
Saban makes some tremendous points that I think are applicable in Banks' situation.
It's about more than football with Banks. Maybe Pruitt brings him back and he barely sees the field. Maybe he doesn't contribute much, if at all. That's not the point. This isn't about how Banks can help Tennessee, it's about how Tennessee can help Banks.
If Banks truly wants to make a change in his life, then the best thing for him is to be at Tennessee and to be a part of the football team. It's certainly better than the alternative (which Saban paints as "being in the street").
Jeremy Pruitt was recently asked about the status of Banks during an appearance on WMNL. Pruitt left the situation completely open, saying "“Is Jeremy Banks a guy I believe in and I think has a bright future and can learn from his mistakes? Sure he can."
It doesn't matter if Banks ever plays another meaningful down of football at Tennessee again.
But I'd at least like to see him be a part of the team. I'd like to see him get a chance to turn a negative into a positive.
Everyone deserves a second chance. A second chance doesn't erase any mistakes, but it at least allows a chance for a new beginning.
Featured image via Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
