TMI: Deep dive into one of CFL Fantasy’s hottest players
You know that commercial for Snickers? You know the one.. Where a bunch of friends are running around playing a game of football and Betty White shows up grumpy because she “isn’t herself when she’s hungry”?
That’s how I imagine Brandon Banks during a game if he doesn’t eat his Snickers before he hits the field.
The speedy return man turned receiver eats his favourite chocolate bar before every single game ever since high school. That pre-game ritual is definitely working for him, too.
Banks was named a Shaw Top Performer after Week 18. He tallied 129 yards and a major score on offence and also racked up 111 punt return yards and a punt return touchdown against the Alouettes.
“It’s a great honour,” Banks said over the phone on Tuesday after hearing of the top performer nod. “It’s always a good honour to be noticed with the great play that you have on the field. At the end of the day, I’m just out there doing my job.”
Since June Jones took over as head coach of the Tiger-Cats, Banks shifted from returner to wide receiver. The move has worked for the 29-year-old, becoming a must-start in TSN CFL Fantasy after racking up four-straight 100+ yard games (Humble brag but I’ve started him the last three..)
“It’s been great,” he said of his new role on the team. “I’ve just been loving (it). Coach June Jones has been giving me opportunities to showcase my talent at wide receiver. I’ve just been loving it and I’ve been getting the opportunities to get the ball more in my hands and it just worked out in my favour having 100 yards in the last four games.”
But what about Brandon off the field? Well, he loves bowling. A lot. His favourite memory of playing football was back in 2014 against the Alouettes (I feel like you might remember this game…). And who is the teammate he’d want to be stranded on an island with?
Get to know a bit more in this edition of TMI!:
Kristina Costabile: Tell me something fans might not know about you.
Brandon Banks: I eat a Snickers before every game. I have to have a Snickers before every game.
KC: When did you start doing that?
BB: Way back in high school. I grew up as a kid loving Snickers. I was such a Snickers head that my family would give me snickers for Christmas. I’ll never forget, one day, it was before I started eating Snickers before the game, my grandma had bought me a Snickers and a Gatorade before a high school game and told me to have a good game and I had a great game. Ever since that day, I always eat a Snickers before a football game.
KC: What do you like to do in your free time?
BB: I’m decent bowler, I love to bowl. That’s my second hobby.
KC: Where do you normally go in Hamilton?
BB: I go to Splitsville. They show us some love over there so we go over there all the time.
KC: What’s on your pre-game playlist?
BB: I’ve got all kinds of stuff. I’ve got Future, Lil Wayne and Yo Gotti mainly. (Also) Meek Mill.
KC: If you were stranded on an island with any one of your teammates, who would it be?
BC: Let’s see… I don’t know! That’s a good question.
KC: It’s tough! Do you want a friend or do you want someone who can help you?
BC: Right?! Do I want a friend or someone that’s going to help and work hard to survive…? I’d probably go with Andy Fantuz or Luke Tasker because they’re smart but they can also have fun at the same time. They’re very smart and intelligent that if anything comes up then we can definitely get out of the situation.
KC: If you were not a football player, what would you be doing?
BB: I’d probably be coaching football if I wasn’t a football player. For some reason, I always had the itch to want to know how to fly a plane but I don’t want to really do it. I just want to do the simulation of being a pilot. I’d probably be too chicken to fly a real plane though!
KC: Speaking of coaching, is that something you are looking to get into once your football career is finished?
BB: As soon as I’m finished with football that’s the first thing I want to do. I’m pretty much brainwashed into the football world so I wouldn’t know anything else to do. Once I leave the game, I’m going to still want to be around it.
KC: What is your favourite football memory?
BB: Probably my favourite one was the Montreal game in 2014 where I had like three returns in one game. It was just a day I couldn’t be stopped. I was having more fun than normal. (Editors note: That game was the Eastern Final in 2014 that the Tiger-Cats won to put them in the Grey Cup. Banks had two punt return touchdowns that counted – one was called back because of a penalty. Still. Finding the end zone three times in one game? Okay, we see you, Speedy.)
KC: What are you watching on Netflix right now?
BB: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air!
KC: If you could have a super power what would it be?
BB: Probably teleport. I just always wanted to be in different locations at any moment. Like at one moment, I could be in Miami somewhere and then I want to be in Toronto.
KC: Someone else’s reasoning was so that they could teleport to the end zone and they didn’t have to worry about running their routes… (Editors note: That other person is Brandon’s teammate Shamawd Chambers, by the way.).
BC: (Laughs) That’s a good one! That’s a good one!
