Banks Statement: Learn From His Mistakes and Open a New Account

The Husky cornerback had an impressive return from a season-ending injury in 2022.

Cornerback might be the hardest position to play in college football. More than anyone, you're stuck on an island similar to Tom Hanks in the film "Castaway," alone in your thoughts, scrounging for something to eat and told to find your own way home.

Any mistake you make is amplified by the fact you're out in the open while the rest of your teammates often are bunched up together at the line of scrimmage, elbow to elbow, and sharing in plays.

In particular, Davon Banks both celebrated and suffered 13 months ago at Arizona State, the last time the University of Washington football team lost a game, falling 45-38 in the desert.

On that October day in Tempe, Banks made a memorable diving interception on the sideline — for one of only two pass thefts registered by a Husky corner all last season — yet he was completely fooled by ASU's Elijah Badger for a 2-yard touchdown pass that was the game-winner.

"I just felt like it was a learning experience for me; that's what I think of it," Banks said this week. "If I could go back, I'd do it again. It was a big learning experience for me and it gave me something to look at during the offseason."

Last Saturday in the Boise State season opener, Banks came off the bench and played better than every other UW cornerback, at last statistically. He had 4 pass break-ups, nearly turning one of them into his second career interception. 

"He got those pass break-ups and played real well, and it's obviously something we're excited about," UW coach Kalen DeBoer said.

Banks played aggressively and looked confident, even improvising with some sort of sword celebration after his third PBU.

"It was in the moment," he said. "I didn't really know what to do."

That no longer seems to be the case for the 5-foot-11, 184-pound defensive back from San Jacinto, California, which is located just 40 miles from Palm Springs. Against Boise State, he shared one corner spot with starter Elijah Jackson in the 56-19 victory and could push him for the starting job against Tulsa. 

The thing about Banks is nothing has come easy for him as a football player. At San Jacinto High, he tore up a knee early in his career and then had to deal with the COVID pandemic, limiting him to just five games as a senior and greatly hampering his recruitment. 

He was all set to play for two-year Cerritos College in Norwalk, California, when the UW intervened. A day or two following his graduation, then-Husky defensive-backs coach Will Harris called him up, urged the corner to attend a Redlands football camp to audition for him and shortly thereafter offered him a scholarship.

Banks was one of the few bright spots during the UW's morbid 4-8 season in 2021, getting a chance to play in four games, more snaps than any other freshman other than since-departed quarterback Sam Huard. 

Last season, Banks started midseason games against California and Stanford, elevated when injuries sat down many of the more veteran cornerbacks. Yet he, too, suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against Oregon State.

"I tried to make a tackle and my shoulder came out and that was about it," he said.

Banks' recovery limited his involvement throughout spring football while the Huskies brought in cornerback reinforcements in Oklahoma State transfer Jabbar Muhammad, Oregon transfer Darren Barkins, junior-college transfer Thaddeus Dixon and freshmen Leroy Bryant, Curly Reed and Caleb Presley.

Yet it didn't take him long to move back into the rotation, be ready to play against Boise State and put on a good show.

"People back home and in the DB room just tell me to keep my head right," Banks said, "and I'll be all right."

He no doubt knows that, in the movie, Tom Hanks stayed the course and finally got off that desolate island, too.

---

Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Inside the Huskies stories — as soon as they’re published.

Not all stories are posted on the fan sites.

Find Inside the Huskies on Facebook by searching: Inside Huskies/FanNation at SI.com or https://www.facebook.com/dan.raley.12

Follow Dan Raley of Inside the Huskies on Twitter: @DanRaley1 or @UWFanNation or @DanRaley3

Have a question, direct message me on Facebook or Twitter.