American football player (born 1959)
William "Chip "Banks (born September 18, 1959) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans. A four-time Pro Bowl selection with the Cleveland Browns, he was named an All-Pro in 1983. He also played for the San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts.
Early life and college.
Banks graduated from Lucy Craft Laney High School in Augusta, Georgia. He played college football at the University of Southern California (USC), from which he graduated in 1981.
Professional career.
Banks was drafted by the Cleveland Browns with the third overall pick in the 1982 NFL draft. He was awarded the NFL Rookie of the Year Award and was a four-time AFC Pro Bowler (1982, 1983, 1985, 1986) with the Cleveland Browns. Banks was traded to the San Diego Chargers on April 28, 1987, as part of a deal that saw the Browns and Chargers swap first- and second-round selections in the 1987 NFL draft. Banks expected to get a new contract from San Diego and when the Chargers demanded he play out his under-market deal from Cleveland, Banks angrily refused to report again and sat out the entire 1988 season. He was traded to the Indianapolis Colts and played there for four seasons before retiring after the 1992 season.
Personal life.
On June 6, 1994, Banks was involved in an auto accident when his car crossed a median and hit a car driven by Mattie Lee Chaney in a head-on collision that resulted in the death of Chaney. He was charged with second degree vehicular homicide along with giving false information to officers and driving without a license.
In 2020, Banks was shot in an Atlanta area home; while he was in serious condition, he eventually recovered from his injuries.