Don Banks, longtime NFL writer and former NFL.com contributor, died Sunday morning in Canton, Ohio, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. He was 56.
Banks was hired by the Review-Journal last month to cover the NFL. He was in Canton to cover the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday and the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony on Saturday. His first piece with the paper, an inside look into how "Hard Knocks" affected the 2018 Browns, was published on Sunday morning.
"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 in a statement Sunday. "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."
A veteran football journalist, Banks worked at several outlets, including Sports Illustrated, where he spent 17 years, and most recently The Athletic and Patriots.com. Banks spent part of the 2016 season as a contributor to NFL.com. Banks also spent 10 years covering the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Banks' passing inspired an outpouring of support from his colleagues and teams around the league.