EL CERRITO, Calif. (KRON) - The San Francisco 49ers were looking to bolster their offensive line this offseason, and in Aaron Banks' case, they didn’t have to look far.
The El Cerrito High School and Notre Dame grad was selected 48th overall by the 49ers.
There wasn't a louder crowd on NFL draft night, than the one in Aaron Banks' East Bay living room.
"It was an absolute eruption as soon as he picked up his phone. Me and my dad were sitting right next to him and my oldest brother. It was just screaming at the top of our lungs, just super intense,” said Franklin Banks, Aaron’s younger brother.
Frank says Aaron’s rise to the NFL hasn't been surprising to those who know him best.
"We'd wake up at 5 in the morning just to go to the gym, workout and then go to school. And just like his drive to be better than he is the day before. At that point I was like there's no doubt that this guy is going far,” said Frank Banks.
Frank says they both grew up playing basketball, but not long after Aaron started playing football in high school, the offers came pouring in.
"It just became normal schools coming up to the school, talking to him every day on the phone, meetings, going up and having visits and stuff like that, it's all a crazy experience but at the same time we always knew it was going to happen,” said Frank Banks.
At Notre Dame, Aaron worked his way up to a 2020 All-ACC selection while anchoring one of the strongest offensive lines in the nation.
Then he declared for the NFL draft.
"I was nervous, I'm pretty sure everybody else was in the family,” said Frank Banks.
Family, friends, and former coaches like El Cerrito Football Coach and Athletic Director Jacob Rincon were elated when Aaron was chosen by the 49ers.
"We've seen Aaron be a professional since high school, so it was definitely a special moment and just exciting for the El Cerrito community to see him get drafted,” said Rincon.
But for the Banks family, there is one catch.
"We grew up Raiders fans so it was kind of a little weird at first ha. But it didn't matter to me,” said Frank Banks.
Still, they say it will be special for Aaron to launch his professional career so close to home.
It also won't be hard to find the Banks cheering section, comes the 49er's first game at Levi's Stadium this fall.
"Everybody's gonna be there, I know all of our coaches, friends, families. It's gonna be wild. I'll you what I'm gonna be there and I'm gonna lose my voice in the first quarter,” said Frank Banks.
Offensive guard Aaron Banks took part in rookie mini-camp on Friday at the 49ers practice field.
The 49ers report for training camp in early August.
from KRON4 https://ift.tt/3bBuxzX
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