Brian Banks, who was wrongfully imprisoned for five years, was signed to the Atlanta Falcons as a linebacker on Wednesday.
Banks, 26, was a football sensation at his high school before he was arrested for a crime he did not commit at age 16. He was cleared of his charges in May 2012, thanks to help from the California Innocence Project, based in San Diego.
Since his release, Banks played with the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League and appeared on multiple talk shows, including NBC's "Tonight Show."
Banks posted a photo (below) to his Facebook page on Wednesday saying, "My God, how amazing you are.. ATL #RiseUp." Hundreds of people commented, saying "Welcome to the NFL" and "You deserve it."
