Warren Bankston
Encyclopedia
Warren Stephen Bankston (born July 22, 1947, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
) is a former professional American football
player who played ten seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers
and Oakland Raiders
.
Bankston played at fullback
for the Steelers for four seasons, 1969-72. When the Steelers tried him at tight end
in an exhibition game during the 1973 preseason, the Raiders, who needed a tight end, spotted him. They traded for him, and he went to the Raiders at the preseason's end.
During the 1976 season, from which the Raiders went on to Super Bowl XI
, Bankston, as team captain, called the coin flip correctly for every game but one. He called it correctly again at the Super Bowl itself, which the Raiders won.
In college, Bankston played for the Tulane University
Green Wave
. He was quarterback
for the Hammond High School (Louisiana)
Tornadoes and finished in the Class of 1965. At Hammond High he was elected to the National Honor Society
and the Kiwanis
-related Key Club
, besides lettering in football
, basketball
, and track
during all four years.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
) is a former professional American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who played ten seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
and Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Bankston played at fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
for the Steelers for four seasons, 1969-72. When the Steelers tried him at tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
in an exhibition game during the 1973 preseason, the Raiders, who needed a tight end, spotted him. They traded for him, and he went to the Raiders at the preseason's end.
During the 1976 season, from which the Raiders went on to Super Bowl XI
Super Bowl XI
Super Bowl XI was a football game played on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1976 regular season...
, Bankston, as team captain, called the coin flip correctly for every game but one. He called it correctly again at the Super Bowl itself, which the Raiders won.
In college, Bankston played for the Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
Green Wave
Tulane Green Wave
Green Wave, the nickname of the sports teams of Tulane University, was adopted during the 1920 season, after a song titled The Rolling Green Wave was published in Tulane's student newspaper in 1920. From 1893 to 1919, the athletic teams of Tulane were known as the Olive and Blue for the official...
. He was quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Hammond High School (Louisiana)
Hammond High School (Louisiana)
Hammond Magnet High School, founded in 1866, is a public high school located in an unincorporated part of the 7th Ward of Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States, east of Hammond. It is the second largest high school in the Tangipahoa Parish Public School System...
Tornadoes and finished in the Class of 1965. At Hammond High he was elected to the National Honor Society
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
and the Kiwanis
Kiwanis
Kiwanis International is an international, coeducational service club founded in 1915. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Current membership is 240,000 members in 7,700 clubs in 80 nations...
-related Key Club
Key Club
Key Club International is the oldest and largest service program for high school students. It is a student-led organization whose goal is to teach leadership through serving others. Key Club International is a part of the Kiwanis International family of service-leadership programs...
, besides lettering in football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
during all four years.