More Johnthan Banks Love
July 27th, 2014
Lovie Smith seems to like CB Johnthan Banks.
There is little doubt Bucs coach Lovie Smith is a defensive guy. Some would suggest he’s particularly fond of — and tough on — defensive backs, since he was once a secondary coach.
So it was interesting to Joe how Lovie threw some love at second-year man Johnthan Banks, who seems to have the inside track at winning a starting cornerback gig opposite of Alterraun Verner.
Currently, Banks’ lone competition for the job appears to be Cowboys and Raiders castoff Mike Jenkins.
“As a rookie, you’re going to have some mistakes and you’re going to have some plays that give you hope for good things to come and that’s what I remember from him,” Lovie said of Banks Saturday. “Very good size, coachable guy. Good hands. All the traits you look for in a good cornerback, he has [them]. He doesn’t have Jeff Demps-type speed, but of course most people don’t.”
Joe is in Banks’ corner. What made Joe a believer in Banks was, as a rookie, after Darrelle Revis went down with an injury against the Lions, it was Banks who had the task of trying to stop All-World receiver Calvin Johnson.
Banks not just stepped up, but locked up Johnson. It was impressive for a veteran player much less a rookie corner.
July 27th, 2014 at 1:22 pm
Banks on the “Character Scale”…is the polar opposite of AzzClown….Talib..whatever is the rest of his name…
July 27th, 2014 at 2:35 pm
A corner who was playing with MRSA no less..
‘m pumped to seem him in year #2, especially with better coaching. Go bucs!
July 27th, 2014 at 2:44 pm
unbelievable Says
“A corner who was playing with MRSA no less.”
I love Banks and feel very confident in him.
That said, him playing through MRSA may have been why it continued becoming and issue in the locker room. Not saying he shouldn’t have done so, just that it could be part of the reason.
July 27th, 2014 at 3:09 pm
Hopefully doesn’t have Demps China doll toughness either.
July 27th, 2014 at 3:16 pm
Bonsai: it wasn’t. Banks was the last one to get MRSA as far as we know. This is also after they brought in dr whatshisface to educate the players about MRSA. That’s why he caught it so early even.
July 27th, 2014 at 3:19 pm
BuccaneerBozai,
as a former MRSA patient myself, I can correctly state that once MRSA was present in the locker room, anyone that was going to be infected was, and there was never a period of time after that where players health was at risk while a teammate or mates were overcoming their bout with it. Thats just not how it works.
July 27th, 2014 at 4:06 pm
Yes, BucLife. Too many people have no clue what MRSA is about. Yes, it’s nasty, especially if left untreated or treated incorrectly (as it was in my case—spider bite, my ass), but in all essence it’s a staph infection, that’s it. A staph infection that is resistant to most types of antibiotics. Lovie was probably around for the MRSA outbreak with the Rams in the early 2000’s, those were damn good teams and over 6 players came down with it (CB Tye Hill being one) and they didn’t miss a beat.
July 27th, 2014 at 6:31 pm
I caught a nasty bout of subcutaneous MRSA at a Tampa gym. Took months to get rid of it, a nasty experience.
I must not have been the only one because when I went back there were signs about cleaning the equipment after each use and bottles of disinfectant gel all over the place…
MRSA is nothing to laugh about.