Pierre Banks, 23, is a native of Durham, N.C., and started his athletic career at Southern Durham High School. Banks played multiple positions in football and also ran track at Southern Durham, receiving All-Conference honors in both sports. He was also named the North Carolina High School Athletic Association PAC-6 Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2003.
After high school, Banks enrolled at the Air Force Academy Prep School and was recruited by Appalachian State University, where he was an All-American linebacker and part of three national-championship teams (2005, 2006 and 2007).
Banks didn’t just excel on the field; he also excelled in the classroom, earning his bachelor’s degree in communications in just three years and moving on to earn his master’s degree in educational media.
Banks, the 16th of 17 children in his family, hopes his athletic ability and competitive nature will help him pursue a career as an over-the-wall pit crew athlete with the support of the Drive for Diversity Crew Member Development program presented by Sprint.