Countdown to kickoff: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State is only 39 days away
To preview one of the most anticipated games for Notre Dame this century and the official start of the Marcus Freeman era, BlueandGold.com is counting down the days to the matchup against Ohio State on Sept. 3.
This daily series of 99 stories celebrates by the numbers some of the most notable names, dates, moments and memories related to the past and present of Notre Dame football.
Today, with 39 days remaining until kickoff, we look at the interesting career and the untimely death of former Irish running back Braxston Banks.
Banks wore the No. 39 jersey at Notre Dame from 1986-88.
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Mother knows best
Hayward, Calif., is more than 3,000 miles from the University of Miami. But distance didn’t keep Banks from passionately following the Hurricanes football program he loved. Nor did it keep then-‘Canes coach Jimmy Johnson from tracking Banks’ fine high school career.
Johnson was building a dynasty in Coral Cables through the mid-1980s, and the hall of fame coach was interested in adding Banks to his already stacked roster.
Banks’ mother had other ideas.
When Johnson called California to deliver his recruiting pitch, mom refused to put him through to her son.
In fact, she didn’t even tell Braxston that Johnson called until after her son signed a letter of intent to play at Notre Dame.
“She’s an unbelievable lady,” Banks said of his mother’s covert operation to get him to Notre Dame. “And I hate to give her credit on this, but yes, she did know best.”
With 550 career rushing yards and eight touchdowns at Notre Dame, Banks was never an all-American candidate or a Heisman hopeful.
But he was a valuable and versatile player on the Lou Holtz teams of the late 1980s that were loaded with elite tailbacks.
Despite his modest production in college, Banks went against the wishes and advice of Holtz and entered the NFL Draft as a junior after Notre Dame’s 1988 national championship season.
Change in plan
The move to enter the draft as an underclassman didn’t work out when Banks wasn’t selected. Undrafted, Banks’ hope became returning to Notre Dame for his final season, but the NCAA wasn’t having it.
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NCAA bylaws mandated that players who entered the draft or contacted an agent would forfeit any remaining eligibility, and Banks had done both.
In an effort to overturn those eligibility rules, Banks sued the NCAA and lost his long-shot case.
“I’m not necessarily optimistic,” Banks said before the court’s ruling. “I’m prepared to do other things in life.”
With his football career over, Banks carried on, first becoming a middle school teacher before helping to launch BanksCisneros, a consulting firm focused on helping companies better care for the environment.
Banks worked there until his untimely death in 2017.
Gone too soon
Banks had no idea he suffered from heart disease until chest pains from three blocked arteries landed him in the hospital.
The procedure to put stents in was successful and Banks was sent home.
Tragically, the pain returned the following day. Banks went back to the hospital but didn’t survive and died of a heart attack at age 49, leaving behind his wife and three young children.
Upon his passing, roommate and teammate Pat Terrell shared the depth of his personal loss in a story for Her Loyal Sons.
“Braxston was such a beautiful person,” Terrell said. “He was the person that always brought out the best in everyone, and when people talked about him, it was always positive. He was such a nice person.”
