It’s been over 25 years since Tony Banks roamed the sidelines at Michigan State University and on an unseasonably cool Wednesday in June, he’s doing just that again. But this time, he’s a spectator. And a father. And a football coach. All rolled up into one.
On the turf practice field in front of him, in the shadow of Spartan Stadium where he played in 1994 and 1995, Banks is watching his boy out there, most assuredly interspersing the current sights and sounds in front of him with the flashbacks of his own time wearing the Green and White.
Anthony Banks is entering his junior year of high school – a class of 2025 quarterback – and not only shares his father’s first name, but also his position on the football field. Standing 6-foot-3, and weighing 190 pounds, Anthony is zipping the ball around the field, working hard over several hours, making the most of his first time visiting collegiate summer camps.
Injuries have hampered the younger Banks during his high school career. But he knows this is his chance. This is his opportunity to put in the work, to earn the starting spot at his new private school just outside of Dallas, to grab the attention of college coaches, to earn those scholarship offers.
“This is the healthiest he has been,” the elder Banks tells me as we chat under the nearby tent as his son goes through more drills with the MSU coaching staff during a prospect camp. “His first offseason, his first camp circuit – he’s having a good time, making a lot of progress. He’s got a chance to be pretty good.”
Anthony played his first two seasons at Greenhill School in Addison, Texas where his dad was the head coach for the last few years. Moving to Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas is a big deal for Anthony, especially since he’ll be squaring off with another incoming quarterback for the starting spot.
“We’ll see how that goes,” Tony said. “[Anthony] has two years, the other kid is a senior. They’re both transferring in.”
As he discusses the possible future of his son on the gridiron – Anthony is running better times than Tony ever did – he starts to wax nostalgic.
“Football in Texas is like a religion,” Tony noted. “That’s the only sport [Anthony] plays, unfortunately. I was a three-sport guy, so as much as I tried to get him to play other sports, he is just all about football.”
Tony Banks lettered in football, basketball, and baseball in high school. In fact, he played right field for the Minnesota Twins' Class A minor league baseball team before he quit baseball and enrolled at San Diego Mesa College in San Diego, California. He played there two seasons before transferring to Michigan State University.
As Tony talks, his thoughts wander back and forth, from his son’s football potential to his own history on the field.
“I think he has that kind of ability,” Tony said. “He’s got to stay healthy. He’s got all the physical tools, but at that position you have to have a lot going on between the ears – so I just try to implore to him to have fun. Sometimes these kids can put so much pressure on themselves now. I don’t remember putting that kind of pressure on myself until I was in the NFL. In high school and college, I just was having a blast. I was flying around and having fun. Still taking it serious, but this is such a great team sport. I see guys I haven’t seen in years and it’s frickin’ awesome, man.”
Tony has put away his coaching whistle these days and has moved into the NIL (Name, Image, Likeness] field, trying to do his part to help some high school football players as they move into college. He works with his former NFL public relations guy at a company called the Collective Engine.
“We’ve been friends for a long time, he’s a good dude,” Tony mentioned. “[I’m] trying to find some clients all around the country and help these kids make a little money once they get to college.”
The new NIL landscape means a lot to Tony.
“When I was here I couldn’t afford to call home, I couldn’t afford to fly home,” Tony recalled. “I didn’t have money to take my lady out to eat. Some of these kids are making a ridiculous amount of money, so I think [there] might need to be a cap on it – but until then, I’ll try to help as much as I can.”
For his part, Anthony said he really enjoyed his time at Michigan State’s prospect camp.
“I had a great camp experience,” Anthony said after camp was over, standing in the Skandalaris Center with his dad, looking around at the Spartan lore around him. “I got a ton of reps, threw some great balls. Honestly, I was just glad to be here, glad to come back, see a bunch of people I hadn’t seen in a long time. They showed me a lot of love, so it was awesome.”
It’s been five years since Anthony had been on campus, not since he was 12 years old.
“Michigan State is like a second home to me,” Anthony explained. “I have a ton of family out here. My grandma actually dropped us off. It’s like coming home, for sure.”
Anthony’s mom’s family went to East Lansing High School and that side of his family still lives in the area.
An offer from Michigan State some day would mean a lot to Anthony.
“It would be awesome,” he said.
And as his recruiting begins to heat up, Anthony knows for sure what he’ll be looking for in a university.
“I look at, first of all, the environment and whether I want to live there without football,” Anthony noted. “That’s the number one important thing. Being able to be happy no matter how my football life is going – have that steady and always there.”
Anthony had the opportunity to spend some time with his dad and Michigan State head football coach Mel Tucker after the camp was over for the day.
“I love Coach Tucker,” Anthony said. “He is a really funny guy. I definitely like what he’s doing to the program; he’s brought a lot of swag. That’s definitely helped a lot with recruiting and all that. I also talked to Coach (Jay) Johnson, the quarterbacks coach (and offensive coordinator), and he seems like a great guy, very high energy. I’d love to work with him.”
Come July, father and son will be off to camp in Alabama where Tony plans to reunite with Nick Saban.
“Nick was my coach my senior year [at Michigan State], so we’re going to go holler at him,” Tony said. “Try to get as many eyes on [Anthony] as possible.”
It’s hard to predict how a 17-year-old kid's football career will progress. It’s hard to know if he’ll stay healthy enough to earn the starting spot at his new high school and, if he does, if he’ll perform at a high enough level to garner the attention of Power Five football programs. One thing that is certain with Anthony Banks, though, is that his dad will be there with him, encouraging him to have fun and enjoy the game.
Anthony has a high ceiling, but – like a lot of high schoolers these days – he needs to focus on having fun and not focus on the things he can’t control.
He’s big, strong, extremely athletic, but his previous injuries affect his outlook. You never know what the future holds but, in the case of Anthony Banks, it seems clear that if he puts in the work and develops his skills and gets to the point where an MSU offer comes, there is a somewhat decent chance that he might be able to follow in his dad’s footsteps at Michigan State University.
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