On Thursday, just two weeks after Brian Banks was exonerated of a rape conviction in which he ultimately served 5 years in prison, when the woman he was accused of raping recanted her testimony, Banks tried out for the Seattle Seahawks. Banks, 26, was ranked as one of the best linebackers in the nation as a junior at Long Beach Poly High School  and was recruited by the University of Southern California in 2003, during the Pete Carroll era. But all of that was nullified after he was arrested, and convicted of rape and kidnapping.

Carroll, now the Seahawks head coach, released a statement through the team Wednesday saying that Banks deserves a “Second chance at his dream.” After Thursday’s workout, Carroll followed up tweeting that he was inviting Banks to join the club for next week’s minicamp.