The recently released "Brian Banks" movie tells the inspirational and gut-wrenching story of Banks' painstaking efforts to clear his name from a false accusation of sexual assault as an elite high school football player in 2002.

Those of you who closely follow college football will recall that then-University of Southern California coach Pete Carroll recruited Banks from Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California, and offered him a scholarship as a promising linebacker with NFL potential. Banks was set to pursue his dream of playing for the Trojans, but one fateful immature decision drastically altered the course of his life.

It was a decision of youthful indiscretion, making out with a girl he liked under a stairwell during school hours. Lots of boys have done the same, but Banks was not just any boy. Local sports reporters were constantly calling him for interviews, and with Carroll's recruiting him, Banks' star was rising on Rivals.com. From the film's depiction, it appears Banks suddenly realized he could be jeopardizing the great future he had ahead of him. He abruptly ended the encounter with his female classmate, whose name is fictionalized as Kennisha Rice. She maliciously accused him of rape. Banks was pressured by his lawyer into taking a plea bargain. He ended up serving six years in prison and three on parole. He endured the shame of registering as a sex offender, devastating punishment for a crime he did not commit.

Watching Banks' story provides a deep outlook on just how unfair life can be. Imagine the anguish and heartbreak of losing everything you've diligently worked for at the tender age of 17. Yes, 17 is young, but when you're an athlete, youth is the prime window of opportunity. There are over 1 million high school football players across the country. The majority of them will not receive a scholarship from a major Division 1 program as Banks did from USC, so to never play a down of college football was a crushing blow for him.

But Banks learned a critical truth in facing adversity, a truth many people realize when they are much older: Perspective is the key to how one fares in life. Banks received this wise and rigorous counsel from his prison mentor, who gave him a copy of "As a Man Thinketh," a 1903 self-help book by British writer James Allen. The book's title references the well-known scripture in Proverbs 23:7, and the book was the perfect defensive response to what seemed like a hopeless situation for Banks behind bars. By renewing his mind, which he also did through prayer to God, Banks was able to overcome the agonizing wounds in his heart. He had to, as his mentor drilled into him, mentallyleave prison. If he did not free the confines of his mind, he would risk physically returning to prison — a sacred lesson for anyone shackled by a bitter tragedy from their past. It could be a wrongful conviction, as it was for Banks, a loss of a loved one to terminal illness, a lingering career disappointment or a financial setback. We cannot avoid trials or always control the hardships we endure, but we can control how we respond.

By changing his mindset, Banks built up his tenacity to fight for the exoneration of his record. He had help from the California Innocence Project while on parole, earnestly persuading CIP director Justin Brooks to take his case. After Banks' conviction was overturned in 2012, he finally made it to the NFL almost a year later at age 28, playing for the Atlanta Falcons during the preseason. Football didn't work out, but Banks is now on a greater path of destiny as a motivational speaker. I bet he often uses this old football adage as he teaches others how to overcome life's difficulties: Don't spend too much time worrying about the last play or you won't be ready for the next one.

Dr. Jessica A. Johnson is a lecturer in the English department at Ohio State University's Lima campus. Email her at smojc.jj@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter: @JjSmojc. To find out more about Jessica Johnson and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.