December 15, 2004

Banks speaks about dismissal

The Tennessee Volunteers dismissed sophomore wide-receiver James Bank from the team earlier this week due to failing a drug test. The latest incident was just one in a long line of incidents that overshadowed the potential brilliance of Banks' career at Tennessee.

Banks was suspended from the first half of Tennessee's Peach Bowl loss last year due to acadamics and failing to be at meetings on time. He had a verbal altercation with a female student last spring and was suspended indefinitely. He was charged with under aged drinking before the season began and suspended three games.

At the time, there was pressure on coach Phillip Fulmer to dismiss Banks, even from Banks' father. Fulmer stuck by his player but told Banks this was the last chance he'd have.

While attempting to come back, he was injured and had surgery. It was during his recovery that Banks says he began to smoke marijuana again. Banks had failed a drug test previously and substituted diluted urine this time to try and avoid the results. The plan didn't work and Fulmer dismissed Banks from the team.

''Coach Fulmer was hurt that he had to let me go,'' Banks said. ''He didn't want to let me go, but I gave him no choice.

In this morning's Tennessean, Banks talks candidly with Tennessee beat writer Chris Lowe about his time on the time and his dismissal.

''I was thinking more long term, but you see where that got me,'' Banks said. ''I had too much free time. I know people are going to think I have a drug problem, but I don't think I have a problem. Smoking weed is something I choose to do, and it happens to be illegal. It doesn't control me.

''The truth is that I had stopped. When I started back smoking it was after I had my surgery. I hadn't smoked at all until then. You can ask any of the teammates that really know me. They know I stopped for a long time, about six months.''

Banks knew that when we was told there were issues with his drug test where it all would lead. Fulmer dismissed Banks from the team.

Banks cried on his way home after meeting with Fulmer last week. He cried some more when he got to his apartment.

Over and over in his head, he couldn't quit thinking about everything that he'd lost.

''All for nothing, really,'' he said. ''Just because I wanted to have a good time.''

Banks knows he let a lot of people down — Fulmer, assistant coaches, teammates and family.

''I just never thought I would get kicked off the team,'' Banks said. ''I always thought it would work out. It's my fault that I got kicked out of here, and I know that. I accept it and now I have to move on.

''I owe a lot of people a lot of apologies, but I let down my teammates tremendously. We could have been very good next year with me in there. I still think they will be very good, but I know we would have been better with me in the lineup.''

Banks is currently looking into transferring to a Division 1AA school to finish out his college eligibility. He has left UT's campus and will spend the holiday break at home in Indianapolis with his family.

Posted by Michael Hickerson

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Comments & Trackbacks

1. jessi says:

   posted on December 15, 2004 05:19 PM — link

   well at least he didnt give any dumb excuses or blame anyone for picking on him, he smoked his pot and got caught and is taking his punishment like a man. KUDOS to the pothead. i do hate to see him go though he was a great athelete.

2. Kevin Donahue says:

   posted on December 15, 2004 05:27 PM — link

   There's always Marshall, right Randy Moss?