“He got on the national team in '86 and I came in ’87,” Armstrong recalled. “We had the ‘88 Olympic team and I was the only Black guy there. Back to ’90 he made that team, and for us to make the big show, straightaway we were roommates.
“We were never really ostracized as such. You hang out with guys you have something in common with.
“Gee (Banks’ nickname with his Milwaukee friends) was always in Milwaukee. He had come out of a pretty rough area in Milwaukee and succeeded, so we had some common ground, like rap music. We traveled together; we went to breakfast, lunch and dinner together. We were just close.”
Armstrong said he always thought it was strange that Banks would jump into bed and pull the curtains as soon as they returned to their room on the road. Not until years later did Banks tell him the reason.
“He said, ‘Do you know the reason why I would always sleep?’ He said, ‘Because I was depressed.’ I never really realized it. It was a way for him to cope,” Armstrong said.
“He had a lot of responsibilities at a very young age. He conquered all of the things that were in front of him. He went back and got his college degree. He got a college coaching job. Family was very important to him.”
Banks is survived by three sons: Demetrius (Dee), J.C. and Jordan. All three have played soccer at the college and club levels.
Demetrius played at UW-Milwaukee, but his career was hampered by injuries. J.C., who starred at UW-Green Bay, currently plays professionally for Forward Madison FC in USL League One. He also played for the Rochester Rhinos, Minnesota United and the Jacksonville Armada. Jordan played at MSOE.
The Milwaukee connections ran deep for Banks, who was an All-American at UWM and played for the indoor Milwaukee Wave from 1987-’93.
