Mandatory Credit: Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports

Who Are Kelvin Banks Jr.’s Parents?

A look into the family of young football star Kevin Banks Jr., including his mother's brave battle with health issues.

Mandatory Credit: Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports

Kelvin Banks Jr., a former offensive tackle for the Texas Longhorns, was selected with the 9th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. After graduating from Summer Creek High School in 2022, the five-star prospect from Texas first committed to Oregon. But he eventually enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin. Considered a top-10 pick, he was named a unanimous All-American and won the Outland Trophy, the Lombardi Award, and the Jacobs Blocking Trophy in 2024.

Banks stands 6’5 1/8″ with arms that are 33 1/2″ and weighs 315 pounds. His wingspan of 84 3/8″ places him on a level with former first-round selection JC Latham; however, his arm length, in comparison to other OTs, is quite modest. He received the NFL prospect grade of 6.43, classifying him as a player who “will become a good starter within two years.”

Who are Kelvin Banks Jr.’s Parents?

Kelvin Banks Jr.’s parents are Kelvin Sr. and Monica Banks. The couple have two children, Kelvin Jr. and his brother, Jalen.

Kelvin Banks Jr. is a guy who makes a ton of sense for the #Texans & fits what Nick Caserio likes in his early draft picks:

– 3 year starter at LT in SEC
– Team captain at Texas
– Local Texas product
– 86.2 PFF Grade in 2024
– 89.9 PBLK Grade in 2024

📸: @TheoAshNFL pic.twitter.com/DkPcvFIYMu
— Jacob (@TexansJacob) March 20, 2025

Who is Kelvin Banks Jr.’s father?

Kelvin Banks Jr.’s father is Kelvin Banks Sr., also known as “Big Kelvin.” His father, a big-rig driver, played football at the arena level after college and is the source of Banks’ athleticism.

Who is Kelvin Banks Jr.’s mother?

Kelvin Bank Jr.’s mother is Monica Banks. She battled recurring diseases, spent time in hospitals, and lost her capacity to walk and even speak. Monica passed out during a Longhorns game when Kevin was a freshman, and her family found that she had a blood clot in her brain. Kelvin, who was then 20 years old, said, “I didn’t let people know how I was feeling; I could feel myself being angry at others for something they didn’t do.”

However, the clot was not the underlying cause, and experts were unable to pinpoint it either. They soon discovered that she had a leak in her gallbladder, which was releasing toxins into her body. She underwent gallbladder removal surgery in late 2024. Since then, she has been slowly recovering, uses a wheelchair and is able to express herself.

"Those moments are definitely special to me. I don't take them for granted" – @Kelvinbanksjr12 🫶 pic.twitter.com/KVVcg5Kn2I
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) October 19, 2024

This wasn’t the first time Monica faced a serious health challenge. Nearly a decade ago, she struggled with epileptic seizures. While driving with her sons, Jalen and Kelvin Jr., she experienced a seizure, fortunately avoiding harm. However, a few years later, she had another seizure while driving alone, resulting in severe neck and hip injuries. To relieve her epileptic seizures, she had brain surgery to remove a tiny section of the temporal lobe.

Regarding her health issues, Monica stated, “Most people would have died from everything I went through. I was in a coma twice in the hospital and they told my family I was going to die.”