Derrick Brooks
Derrick Brooks
Derrick Dewan Brooksis an American former football linebacker who played in the National Football Leaguefor fourteen seasons. He played college football for Florida State University, and was twice recognized as a consensus All-American. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft, where he played his entire professional career. An eleven-time Pro Bowl selection and nine-time All-Pro, Brooks was named AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2002, and earned a...
ProfessionFootball Player
Date of Birth18 April 1973
CityPensacola, FL
It's no secret. The spotlight is going to be on him. My advice is for him not to feel the pressure. He has 10 other guys he can lean on.
I couldn't beat myself up any more for not falling on that ball.
I guess we're a little down because of the way we lost. It appears that we got dominated.
Our field-goal team has really stepped up to the plate and answered all the criticism that they had. Closing out games, whether it's kicking offense or defense, that's something that we haven't done well in the past two seasons and that's something we've done well this year. Obviously, it's the difference in three or four wins.
I would give up one thousand yards to get a win.
Usually, we have something bet on it. We usually have got to wear the other university's colors for about a week if your team loses.
We are in second place, one game back. But we're by no means out of it. I guess it's a little down because of the way we lost. It appears we got dominated. ... It could be a whole lot worse than where we are at.
We started an important streak, in my opinion. The first time we lost this season, we come back. In the past, one loss meant two, meant three, meant four. But today, from that standpoint, we took a huge step in bouncing back from a loss.
Every rep that you take off, somebody else gets another look. That's just how I am. It's not a matter of being paranoid, it's a matter of being confident and not taking anything for granted.
You can pick any game and there are two or three plays that determine whether you win or lose, going either way. That's the beauty of the league, man. Every game counts, no matter who you're playing or what their record is.
As an athlete you've got to watch your hydration and your nutrition, and use the right kinds of fuel to help you perform your best.
I always felt like I was challenged, I was never satisfied, and I looked forward to the challenge. From studying high school players to studying kids in college, I always studied the competition, at my position in particular, to make sure I set the standard.
(We) still have a lot to accomplish. That's something to think about when the season is over.
Watching those tapes told me I've still got a lot of work to do,