For Redskins’ Banks, speed runs in family — and gives him a shot
ASHBURN – Perhaps the only people who could have caught Brandon Banks the other night were the ones at home cheering for him. Just look at the roll call in his family: His mom once reached the Olympic track trials, a half-sister is a 100-meter champion and a collection of uncles ran track in college.
Then there’s his dad. He didn’t run in college; he just has bragging rights.
“He’s probably the fastest out of all of us,” Banks said. “It runs through the whole family.”
So it’s no surprise that he runs the 40-yard dash in 4.24 seconds. And that speed is why Banks, despite being listed at 5-foot-7 and 155 pounds, has a chance to make the Redskins’ roster. Returning a punt 77 yards is one thing; doing it with blinding speed is another.
The Redskins made it clear he has far from secured a spot on the 53-man roster.
“He has great speed, but we have a long way to go,” special teams coach Danny Smith said.
But Banks no doubt has a better chance now than he did before Friday’s 42-17 win over Buffalo, which included his long return for a touchdown.
“I bet someone he was going to run one back,” said Redskins rookie left tackle Trent Williams, who played against Banks in college. “I’m familiar with what he can do. The guys didn’t believe me because he’s so little, but I told them, ‘He can fly.'”
He should. His mom, Sharonda Banks, reached the 1995 Olympic time trials in the 200 meters but failed to advance. His half-sister, Gabby Mayo, competes in track and field at Texas A&M, where she holds the school record in the 60 hurdles, anchored a 400-meter relay that set an NCAA record and owned the fastest time in the Big 12 for the 100 meters last season.
So the fact that Banks runs fast? Not a surprise.
“He’s fast; there’s no speed like it,” Redskins receiver Santana Moss said. “He got that genetically.”
There’s also his connection to new Wizards point guard John Wall, who grew up in the same hometown, Garner, N.C. They played hoops together at a local community center, and Banks even was on the varsity basketball team when Wall was cut as a freshman. He paid tribute to Wall by doing his celebration dance after the touchdown.
Still, it’s his size and his speed that get him noticed. Banks finds advantages in being tiny.
“The bigger guys aren’t as agile as I am and can’t go side to side as fast as I can,” he said.
Not that everything went perfect for him — he also muffed a punt. He recovered, but he lost 2 yards.
“That was disappointing,” Smith said.
But not a killer.
“Brandon has been very sure-handed all the way through camp,” coach Mike Shanahan said. “He probably got a little excited and muffed one, but he’s very consistent.”
