Carl Banks has finally come full circle.

A two-time Super Bowl champion linebacker with the New York Giants, Banks helped launch Starter into the stratosphere when he became one of its first brand ambassadors in 1985.

Now, 24 years later, as the president of G-III Sports, Banks has spearheaded its resurrection. Once the preeminent athletic apparel provider, Starter is back in the gameday spotlight as the official uniform and sideline attire supplier for the Alliance of American Football.

The AAF has generated strong TV ratings (2.9 million viewers in its first week, north of two million on cable in Week 2) and plenty of interest elsewhere, including the merchandising realm.

Banks called early sales “very impressive” and said there was a “huge spike” after the AAF’s opening week of games.

“Our reorder numbers that Monday were just shy of $1 million,” Banks said. “That’s a good spike. You have the initial buy-in, then the reorders — those are the ones you really want to monitor and those were the best. And reorders kept coming in all week. Dick’s (Sporting Goods), Hibbett and Aramark, our venue partner, everybody was calling with reorders.”

Memphis Express president Kosha Irby doubled down on that sentiment.

"Merch moved very well at our first home game," he said. "All of our metrics are moving in the right direction and are indicating that we're onto something. It's just up to us to manage it and grow it."

Banks’ goal with Starter

Throughout much of the ‘80s and ‘90s, Starter was the leader of a movement unlike any other before it that created a union between sports, entertainment and the American consumer. At its peak, led by its signature “breakaway” jackets, satin jackets and baseball caps, Starter reported sales of more than $350 million in 1993.

Before Nike hit it big with Michael Jordan and its “Just Do It” campaign, before the rise of mega brands such as adidas and Under Armour, Starter was a legitimate fashion phenomenon. Embraced by superstar athletes (Emmitt Smith, Karl Malone), high-profile coaches (pre-hoodie Bill Belichick), and fashionable celebrities (DJ Jazzy Jeff, Brooke Shields, Run DMC), Starter — founded in 1971 — dominated the sports apparel landscape for more than a decade.

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But the bottom fell out in 1999. Major League Baseball’s players strike of 1994, followed by the NHL lockout shortly afterward were the primary blows. Making matters worse, the Starter craze led to a run of violence that damaged its image.

In 1990, a 17-year-old was robbed of his New Orleans Saints Starter jacket in Chicago before being shot and killed. In 1992, a 14-year-old was beaten, stabbed and killed after refusing to surrender the Oakland Raiders Starter jacket he was wearing.

Starter filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1999. A number of companies bought and sold Starter in the years that followed (including Nike in 2004). When G-III Apparel Group set out to release a limited edition “Coming To America” line, Banks stepped up to provide the licensing fee necessary to reproduce the New York Jets and New York Mets satin Starter jackets worn by Eddie Murphy's and Arsenio Hall’s characters.

The seed was sown.

“From the minute I took over the license (in 2013), my goal was to bring Starter back to prominence, where I think it belongs,” Banks said. “And we haven’t taken our eye off of that goal. Outside of the shoe companies, which we know who they are or who the main one is, it’s still the most iconic brand in all of sports. It created the platform that all the other brands are on now.”

The deal with the AAF

When Banks caught wind of the AAF, which announced its founding in March, he was intrigued.

When Banks found out Marc “Jake” Jacobson was involved with the league as its head of brand, he pounced.

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Jacobson, who said the bidding process with the AAF was competitive, was drawn to Starter for a couple of reasons.

“A: Carl’s passion,” he said. “But, B: We’re a league of opportunity. We’re giving these kids and coaches another chance to live their dreams. We looked at Starter as arguably the most iconic American sportswear brand ever. And to give them the opportunity to prove themselves again, it just fits with our whole brand ethos and DNA.”

Another cog in the aesthetic wheel for the AAF is Brian Begley, a self-employed creative director from New Jersey and, fittingly, a die-hard New York Giants fan. A few years ago, he posted a handful of conceptual NBA uniform renderings on social media that caught Banks’ eye.

Begley, once given a black Charlotte Hornets Starter jacket by his parents for Christmas, was commissioned by the AAF to draft uniform concepts for the league’s eight teams, creating the initial blueprint. He was given a short stack of logo and brand guides.

“I handled everything as far as how the jerseys are tailored, the type of collar that fits the AAF logo, where the mesh will lay,” said Begley. “All those things you don’t really think about, like where will we put the Starter logo, those kinds of things. Then, collaborating with the league on putting the rest of the uniforms together.”

Irby, 40, a former Memphis State defensive back, said he was the proud owner of a Starter jacket when he was growing up. Now, he's got Express breakaway and satin jackets.

He's just not quite sure what to do with them yet.

"It's kind of one of those rock-em-or-sock-em scenarios," Irby said with a laugh. "Right now, it's like a museum piece. Literally, it's at home, kind of being preserved. One day, I may wear it, but it's kind of like my trophy at the moment."

Full circle

Banks watched every second of the AAF’s first four games during its opening weekend.

He was far less worried about the look than he was with keeping an eye on the product’s performance.

“We knew we would have the right presentation,” he said. “We have a staff that understands gameday presentation and we have a partner (AAF) who grew up in gameday presentation and consumption. So what I was watching for was to make sure the products withstood (the game).”

With those tests aced, the weight of the moment was not lost on Banks. Nor much of the rest of G-III Sports.

“It was super special to me,” he said. “I was one of the first brand ambassadors. That was the appeal when I saw the brand was available and nobody was paying attention to it. A couple of my VPs, who worked for Starter, they were both in tears because it was so great to see the brand back on the field again.”

Banks and Jacobson said the AAF will continue to roll out more merchandise as the inaugural season continues.

"We have some new stuff we'll be breaking out. Some vintage stuff and some new things," Jacobson said, adding AAF.com is averaging 400 orders a day. "Our goal is to add a piece or two every few weeks. You've got to walk before you run and this is a marathon. (But) we're already planning for next year, and we will be better."

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