Tommy Banks, M.D., is a former American football fullback. Born in West Monroe, Louisiana, he starred at West Monroe High School under legendary coach Don Shows before earning a scholarship to Louisiana State University, where he played from 1997 to 2000. Banks cemented his place in LSU lore by scoring a touchdown in an upset win over the top ranked and defending national champion Florida Gators in 1997. On the play, he dove into the end zone with a defender draped on him, for a 7-yard touchdown that put LSU up 14-0. The dive was immortalized in the October 20, 1997 issue of Sports Illustrated, which contained an article recapping the game. Banks ended his LSU career with a record tying two touchdown performance in LSU's 28-14 victory over Georgia Tech in the 2000 Peach Bowl. To this day, satirical Tommy Banks references are routinely made in LSU post-game radio shows. [More at Wikipedia]

1979 in West Monroe