10 Years Later: Pat Collins Catches Up With Banana Man

Pat Collins dressed up as grapes to rescue 14-year-old Bryan Thompson from a school suspension after he ran across the football field at half time in a banana costume. 

NBC Universal, Inc.

It's a bird, it's a plane... it's a banana?

Ten years ago News4’s Pat Collins dressed up as grapes to rescue 14-year-old Bryan Thompson from a school suspension after he ran across the football field at half time in a banana costume. 

"In 48 years I have been a reporter on TV, I have done thousands of stories, but there is one story that keeps hanging around," Collins said.

The video of Collins in a grapes suit interviewing Thompson, known as Banana Man, can be found on YouTube with more than 650,000 views.

Collins caught up with now 24-year-old Thompson who is pursuing a music career under the name Leon Knight.

The artist formerly known as Banana Man has experienced the ups and downs of the music business. Thompson has written, produced and performed on a new album called "Can’t it please be tomorrow?"

Like the album title, he is looking into the future. Thompson moved to Los Angeles and building his own recording studio there.

Local

Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information

Howard University works to regain prestigious R1 status

Trump administration eyes new immigrant detention centers

Those days at Colonial Forge High School now a memory, Thompson says he does not have any regrets about running across the field in a banana costume.

Contact Us