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We Are Family: Pierre Banks has been a star on the field, in classroom
Mark Mitchell Photo
Pierre Banks (31) moves in to bring down a Citadel runner in Saturday's lopsided homecoming victory.
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Published: October 7, 2008
Pierre Banks, obviously more interested in football than in singing, cringed at first but couldn't help smile by the time his brother Damon was finished revealing details of an unofficial but mandatory music curriculum befitting a well-rounded family of 17 children.
Every Sunday morning, the Banks' bunch would squeeze into a van and head to Pilgrim Baptist Church near their home in Durham.
"Whether we wanted to or not," Damon Banks said. "Mom wouldn't let us play football unless we sang in the choir. And I couldn't even sing."
Pierre Banks said he couldn't sing either.
"But I was in the choir," he said, losing the smile.
All the Banks' boys were declared football-eligible by mom Deloras. Six of them went on to play in college, including Pierre, an All-America linebacker and part of three national-championship teams at Appalachian State.
Education the most important
But athletics were secondary to education and importance of family among the 17 children -- 12 boys and five girls now ranging in age from 18 to 51 -- who were born to John and Deloras Banks. All, with the exception of two who entered the military and the youngest who is a senior in high school, were awarded scholarships or worked their way through college.
Pierre, now in his final football season at Appalachian, completed his bachelor's degree in communications in just three years and is in his final semester of coursework for a master's degree in educational media.
"My mom and dad always wanted us to know the importance of education, that it was such a key part of life," said Cynthia Banks-Glover, the oldest daughter in the Banks family and a semi-retired staff specialist at the John Hope Franklin Center at Duke University.
"We never knew anything but success," said Telly Banks, a middle son who is a teacher at an elementary school in Cullowhee and is working on a graduate degree. "That came from both of our parents."
Daimeon Banks, who with twin Damon is employed by a scientific and medical-research company, said: "We grew up with parents who took time and made sure we actually did our schoolwork and made sure we stayed out of trouble. Our father was a long-distance truck driver. He was gone a lot. Mom made sure we stayed in line. If we didn't, when he got home, she'd tell him."
Big-family roots
John Banks, 72 and now retired, said that he and wife Deloras, who died in 1997 from breast cancer, both came from large families.
"There were about 10 children in her family, and about nine of us in mine," said John Banks, who enjoys family gatherings with numerous grandchildren present.
He can reel off the names of his children in order but doesn't guarantee correct spellings. "I have a hard time spelling my own name sometimes," he said. "But all of them have done pretty good for themselves."
Pierre Banks said that sharing was an attribute quickly learned -- "We all wore each other's clothes, and I even wore my sisters' shirts" -- and that he appreciates the support he gets from siblings that attend as many Appalachian football games as they can.
"Even Telly comes to our games," he said. "He played at Western Carolina. He just refuses to sit on our side."
Pierre Banks said that it's "a wonderful experience" coming from such a large family.
"Anytime I ever had a problem, I had a lot of people I could go to and talk to," he said. "I love each and every one of my brothers and sisters."
Coach Jerry Moore of Appalachian joked that he wouldn't live long enough to meet all of Pierre's family. "But I've met a few of them," he said. "What a neat family."
Pierre Banks -- who, according to his sister, Cynthia, was always inquisitive as a child and in gifted classes through elementary school -- developed a passion for sports and plans to use his degree work in electronic media and broadcasting to "become another Verne Lundquist."
"A lot of kids watch cartoons when they're growing up, but my thing was watching college football on Saturday," Pierre Banks said.
"That part of Saturday made my whole week -- at 3:30 p.m. looking at the ‘Home Depot Presents the SEC on CBS.' That's something I've always wanted to do, to broadcast games and to get to be around the game I love."
A pro wrestling fan
Pro wrestling apparently was a second but short-lived career choice.
"He had an obsession with that for a while," Damon Banks said, drawing another cringe from Pierre. "He was about 5 years old, and he loved to jump off the couch, like he was jumping from the top rope. One time somebody moved out of the way, and he hit the TV and got a grapefruit-sized knot on his head. But he survived."
And he excelled in football. He was good enough to draw serious interest from Mississippi of his beloved Southeastern Conference, but he wound without an expected scholarship because of concern over his height, 5-11.
Left without an offer late in the recruiting season, he enrolled at the Air Force Academy Prep School and was recruited by Appalachian from there.
Pierre Banks -- probably the most accomplished athlete in his family -- has played in 51 games for the Mountaineers and is nearing the program's top 10 for career tackles with 293.
Pierre Banks was named the preseason defensive player of the year by Southern Conference coaches in August, on the heels of first-team All-America honors last season. He also was the recipient of national academic and conference leadership awards.
"He's been huge to our program," Moore said. "It's his second year of being a captain, and I think that tells you a lot about what our players think of him. He got about 98 percent of the votes. He's already got two degrees from here, and he's a great role model off the field and on the field.
"Plus, he's just a fun guy just to sit down to talk to. As a matter of fact, he was walking, and I picked him up and took him to the training table last night. We just chatted in the car like we were buddies. He's got that kind of demeanor about him."
■ Tommy Bowman can be reached at 727-7320 or at tbowman@wsjournal.com.
The Banks bunch
The 17 children of John and Deloras Banks:
Name - Born - Occupation or employer - Resides
John - 1957 - Attorney - Durham
Cynthia - 1958 - University staff specialist - Durham
Donald - 1962 - Industrial instruments company - Durham
Warren - 1964 - Truck driver - Durham
Carolyn - 1965 - Director of therapeutic recreation - Durham
Pamela - 1967 - Marketing company - Marietta, Ga.
Marcus - 1969 Retired from Navy - Durham
Christopher - 1970 - Mechanical-device company - Roxboro
George - 1973 - Army - Oklahoma
Telly - 1974 - Elementary-school teacher - Cullowhee
Eric - 1976 - Gas company; student - Durham
Daimeon - 1978 - Scientific/medical-research company - Cary
Damon - 1978 - Scientific/medical-research company - Cary
Bonswa - 1980 - Insurance Fuquay-Varina
Rhasheda - 1982 - Tours with professional dance company - Atlanta
Pierre - 1986 - Graduate school - Boone
Markezia - 1989 - High-school student - Durham
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