This week is was announced that former New York Giants linebacker Carl Banks was named a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Banks was one of eight individuals with ties to the Giants on the list of 31 ‘senior’ players and 29 coach/contributors advancing to the semifinal round for possible induction.
Quarterback Charlie Conerly, running back Ottis Anderson, defensive back Everson Walls and former head coaches Tom Coughlin and Dan Reeves also made the cut.
Here are five reasons why Banks should receive further consideration for Canton.
He was a stud from Day 1
Banks was the third overall selection out of Michigan State by the Giants in the 1984 NFL draft and was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team that year.
Banks played in all 16 games as a rookie, with four starts (Brad Van Pelt was traded to the Raiders and Banks shared time with Byron Hunt and Andy Headen), recording three sacks and recovering a fumble.
A two-time Super Bowl champion
Banks eventually won over the left outside linebacker position in 1986, across from Hall of Famer and NFL legend Lawrence Taylor. He would play in a total of 126 regular season games and 11 more in the postseason for the Giants.
Two of those postseason games were Super Bowls in which Banks played a prominent role in, leading Big Blue to victories in both games.
League-wide recognition
Banks was named a first-team All-Pro in 1987, racking up nine sacks in 12 games (the season was interrupted by a work stoppage that year).
Banks was a steady performer for his entire Giants career but was overshadowed at the time by Taylor and another Hall of Fame linebacker, Harry Carson.
In shining a new light on his career, many are discovering what Giants fans have always known — that Banks was great, too.
An all-decade selection
Banks was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1980s. It is an honor well deserved. He helped make the Giants a contender and champion in a decade that featured great NFC teams and dynasties such as San Francisco, Washington, and Chicago.
During Banks’ nine-year tenure with the Giants (1984-92), the club had winning records in six seasons, made the postseason five times, and won two Super Bowls.
A franchise staple
Banks was named to the New York Giants Rink of Honor, a distinction that is not awarded lightly.
He not only represented the team well during his playing days, he continues to do so to this day, serving as a team ambassador and as the game analyst on the Giants’ radio broadcasts alongside Bob Papa.
