Longtime NFL writer Don Banks died in his sleep early Sunday after attending the Hall of Fame ceremonies in Canton, Ohio, his employer, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, reported.
He was 57.
Paramedics were called to a hotel in North Canton, where Banks was found in his room unresponsive and pronounced dead.
Banks spent the past three seasons working for The Athletic-Boston, producing his wildly popular “Snap Judgments” column and other NFL-focused content.
Banks had just been hired to cover the NFL for the Review-Journal. His first piece for the paper was published Sunday.
Banks was a senior NFL writer for Sports Illustrated for 16 years before joining The Athletic as a contributor. Prior to Sports Illustrated, Don spent 10 years covering the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“Words can’t express the depth of sadness the Review-Journal staff feels for Don’s family and friends,” Review-Journal Executive Editor Glenn Cook said. “Beyond a sportswriting institution, Don was a dedicated husband and father and a class act. No NFL journalist commanded more respect. The sport has lost one of its finest storytellers.”
Banks is survived by his wife, Alissa, and two sons, Matt (28) and Micah (21) from a previous marriage.
The football world reacted with grief.
