NY Giants legend Carl Banks belongs in the Hall of Fame
Among 129 modern-era nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023, seven individuals with ties to the New York Giants organization were named semifinalists. The list includes five former players and two former head coaches. From our chair, one of the biggest names to make the cut is former star linebacker Carl Banks.
In 126 regular season games with the Giants, Banks recorded 36 sacks and a combined 627 tackles. He spent nine seasons with Big Blue and led the team to a winning record six times, including the franchise's first two Super Bowl titles.
The linebacker led the Giants' defense alongside NFL legend and Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor. Both were members of one of the greatest NFL Defenses of All Time, often referred to as "The Big Blue Wrecking Crew."
While the Giants' defense dominated throughout the 80s, Banks would play a prominent role in 1987 when he recorded nine sacks in 12 games to earn First-Team All-Pro recognition. This also led to him earning a spot on the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-1980 Team.
Carl Banks belongs in the HOF.
— LPG - NYG (@LicensePlateGuy) July 14, 2023
Pros:
*2x SB champ XXI, XXV, *member of the NFL 1980's All-Decade Team, *PFWA All-Rookie Team (1984)
Carl Banks belong in Canton in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
In 2019, Banks was named to the Giants Ring of Honor during halftime of Big Blue's game against the Green Bay Packers. The outside linebacker received a huge standing ovation from a sold-out MetLife Stadium crowd.
Outside of his performance on the field, Banks became a fan-favorite to Giants fans off the field. When his name was announced on the Hall of Fame semifinalists list, many expressed their opinions on social media.
🙏🏾💙🙏🏾
— Carl Banks (@CarlBanksGIII) July 12, 2023
Banks has retweeted and replied to many supportive tweets from fans. The Giants legend has been known to engage with his fanbase on social media over the years. He can now be found on gamedays in the broadcast booth as a color analyst to Giants' radio broadcaster Bob Papa.
For now, Giants fans will have to wait and see when Banks will officially be inducted as a Pro Football Hall of Fame member. We can only hope the day when the league recognizes the Giants legend comes sooner than later.
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