Gary Rashad Banks (born November 4, 1981) is the current Outside Receivers coach for the Troy Trojans and a former American football wide receiver who played for the

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...

of the National Football League. He was signed by the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

at Troy.

Early years

Banks attended Southern Choctaw High School, leading the Indians to back-to-back state titles in 1998 and 1999 while playing quarterback.

Baseball career

After high school, he was selected in the fifth round of the

2000 Major League Baseball Draft First round selections Compensation picks Background The Florida Marlins made Adrián González of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, California the first overall selection in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft. González, who was rated as ...

by the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

and played

right field A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...

for three years as part of the Cubs' minor league system. Banks never played beyond class A, playing two years for the rookie league Arizona League Cubs and two years for the class A Boise Hawks.

College career

After baseball, Banks went back to school and played

Troy University Troy University is a public university in Troy, Alabama. It was founded in 1887 as Troy State Normal School within the Alabama State University System, and is now the flagship university of the Troy University System. Troy University is accredi ...

, switching positions from quarterback to wide receiver. While playing for the Trojans, Gary was used periodically in trick play situations and accumulated a career passing record with 8-of-9 passes completed for 110 yards and two touchdowns.

Professional career

Pre-draft

Banks was not invited to the NFL Combine. However, at Troy's Pro Day, Banks recorded an official 4.51 40-yard dash and 35½ inch vertical.

San Diego Chargers

Banks went undrafted in the

2008 NFL Draft The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 26 and April 27, ...

, but was signed by the

shortly after. After numerous injuries to the Chargers wide receiver corps, Banks was signed to the active roster on October 30, 2010. In his first NFL debut, he made his first catch for 2 yards against the Tennessee Titans. Banks was released by the Chargers on November 15, 2010.

References

External links

San Diego Chargers bioTroy Trojans bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Banks, Gary 1981 births Living people Players of American football from Meridian, Mississippi Arizona League Cubs players American football wide receivers Troy Trojans football players San Diego Chargers players American football quarterbacks