Derrick Brooks facts for kids
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Brooks wearing his Super Bowl XXXVII jersey in 2003
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||||||
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| Born: | April 18, 1973 Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 235 lb (107 kg) | ||||||||||||||
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| High school: | Washington (Pensacola, Florida) |
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| College: | Florida State (1991–1994) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1995 / Round: 1 / Pick: 28 | ||||||||||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Derrick Dewan Brooks (born April 18, 1973) is a famous American football player. He played as a linebacker for his entire 14-year career in the National Football League (NFL). All those years were spent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brooks played college football for the Florida State Seminoles. He was recognized as an All-American twice. The Buccaneers picked him in the first round of the 1995 NFL draft. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl 11 times and was a first-team All-Pro five times. In 2002, Brooks was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. That same year, he helped his team win their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXVII.
After he stopped playing, Brooks was a co-owner and president of the Tampa Bay Storm team. This was in the Arena Football League (AFL) from 2011 to 2017. He was honored by being put into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014. In 2016, he also joined the College Football Hall of Fame.
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Early Life and High School Football
Brooks grew up in Pensacola, Florida. He went to Washington High School there. In his final year of high school in 1991, Brooks led his team to the state playoff semifinals.
In 2007, he was named to the Florida High School Athletic Association All-Century Team. This team picked the top 33 players from 100 years of high school football in Florida.
College Football Career
Brooks played for the Florida State Seminoles from 1991 to 1994. He played for four years and was a top player. He was named a first-team All-American in his junior and senior years. He was also a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) player three times.
He started as a safety in his first year. Then, he changed to linebacker in his second year. Brooks was part of the 1993 Seminoles team that won the National Championship. He finished his college career with 274 tackles. He also had five interceptions, 8.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles.
In November 2010, Florida State honored Brooks by retiring his jersey number 10. This means no other player on the team will wear that number again.
College Awards and Honors
- 3× First-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (1992, 1993, 1994)
- ACC Defensive Player of the Year (1993)
- 2× Consensus first-team All-American (1993, 1994)
- National Champion (1993)
Professional Football Journey
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers chose Derrick Brooks in the first round of the 1995 NFL draft. He was the 28th player picked overall. The Buccaneers traded some of their other picks to get him. Brooks was the second linebacker chosen in that draft.
Brooks played for the Buccaneers for 14 years. Many people think he is one of the best players in the team's history. He is also considered one of the best linebackers ever in the NFL. From 1995 to 2008, Brooks started almost every game. He made 1,698 tackles, 13.5 sacks, and 25 interceptions. He also scored six touchdowns, which is tied for the most by a linebacker in NFL history.
He was picked for the Pro Bowl 11 times. This included 10 times in a row from 1997 to 2006. He was also named an All-Pro nine times. In 2002, he won the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. He led the team to their first Super Bowl win in Super Bowl XXXVII.
Early NFL Success (1995–2001)
As a rookie in 1995, Brooks played in 16 games and started 13 of them. He had 78 tackles and one sack. He was named to the all-rookie team by Pro Football Weekly and Pro Football Writers Association. In 1996, he started all 16 games. He led the team with 132 tackles and got his first career interception.
In 1997, Brooks went to his first Pro Bowl. He had 144 tackles and two interceptions. He had another great season in 1998, with 156 tackles and an interception.
In 1999, Brooks made the Pro Bowl for the third time. He was also a first-team All-Pro for the first time. He had 153 tackles, two sacks, and four interceptions. In 2000, he went to his fourth Pro Bowl and was a first-team All-Pro again. He had 140 tackles and scored his first career touchdown. This happened on a 34-yard interception. Brooks also won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2000. This award is given for community service and great play on the field. In 2001, Brooks made his fifth Pro Bowl. He had 112 tackles and three interceptions.
Super Bowl Victory and Continued Greatness (2002–2008)
Brooks had his best season in 2002. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He helped the Buccaneers win their first Super Bowl title. He also made his sixth Pro Bowl and was a first-team All-Pro for the third time. That season, he had 117 tackles and five interceptions. He returned an NFL record four touchdowns (three from interceptions and one from a fumble).
In Super Bowl XXXVII, the Buccaneers beat the Oakland Raiders 48–21. Brooks sealed the win by returning an interception 44 yards for a touchdown.
In 2003, Brooks set a team record for most Pro Bowl appearances in a row with seven. He had 101 tackles and scored another touchdown from an interception. In 2004, he made his eighth Pro Bowl and was a first-team All-Pro again. He had 137 tackles and three sacks. In 2005, Brooks made his ninth Pro Bowl and was a first-team All-Pro for the sixth time. He finished with 125 tackles and three sacks.
In 2006, Brooks played in his 10th Pro Bowl. He was named the MVP of the game. He returned an interception 59 yards for a touchdown to help the NFC win. During the regular season, he had 121 tackles and three interceptions. In 2007, he had 109 tackles. In his last year with the Buccaneers in 2008, he had 73 tackles and an interception. He was selected to his 11th Pro Bowl. His 11 Pro Bowl selections are tied for the second-most by a linebacker in NFL history.
Leaving Tampa Bay and Retirement
On February 25, 2009, the Buccaneers let Brooks go. He was one of five older players released that day. The team wanted to build a younger roster. Brooks never missed a game in his 14 years with Tampa Bay. He played in 224 games in a row. He started 208 of those games as a weakside linebacker. This is an NFL record for that position.
After not playing in 2009, Brooks officially announced his retirement on August 11, 2010.
On January 10, 2014, Brooks was named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. On February 1, 2014, Brooks was chosen for the Hall of Fame in his first year of being eligible. He is one of the few players to be inducted into the Hall of Fame mainly for his time with the Buccaneers.
Life After Football
Brooks used to be a football analyst for ESPN. He also co-hosted a radio show called The Red Zone on Sirius NFL Radio.
In 2011, Brooks became a part-owner and president of the Tampa Bay Storm team. This team was in the Arena Football League. The team stopped playing in December 2017.
Since 2014, Brooks has worked for the NFL and the NFL Players Association. He helps review punishments for players who misbehave during games.
Personal Life and Charity Work
Derrick Brooks is married and has four children. He is a Christian.
Brooks started a group called Derrick Brooks Charities. He has taken young people on trips across the country and to South Africa. These trips are like "mobile classrooms" to help them learn. This group is known as the Brooks Bunch. Brooks also helped start the Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School in Tampa. He did this with fellow Hall of Famer Edward J. DeBartolo Jr..
Brooks is well known for his charity work. He also strongly believes that education is very important. He won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2000. In 2003, Governor Jeb Bush appointed him to the Florida State University Board of Trustees.
