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
Hopefully, progress is being made. I don't think all these extensions would have come about if there wasn't progress.
People are just now starting to notice Troy as a game-changer. From a standpoint of making plays, he's carried Pittsburgh to where they are today. He's got a unique style all his own, and I'm a fan of his hair. I like that flair he plays with.
We have a good defensive team. You have a good group of guys who made the team defensively so I wasn't surprised we went out there and played well.
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.
Our fans are usually loud when the defense is on the field. I think from my standpoint, we respect that. So a lot of things we do we'll go off hand signals and wristbands when we're playing at home. Something we addressed this morning is our defensive communication. With the first home game, hopefully fans will come revved up. A young quarterback and an offense playing in our home is something you have got to account for.
It doesn't matter what has happened in the past four games,
It appears we got dominated. We're a defense, really as a team, that does not give up 34 points, and today we did. The most disappointing thing is we had a good week of practice, and today we didn't show up.
To me, that's Hall of Fame, ... To know you had an impact on one person in this world. For them to give you so much credit when you hear young people tell you what you mean to their lives. That changed me as a person. Being around those kids at that young age helped me mature as a man. It kept me from all other distractions that could've knocked me off the path. They were saving me as much as I was saving them.
You know they can do one of three things. Somebody has got to run it; somebody has got to block. Or they are both going out for a pass route. We have no idea with both of them in the backfield. And if that presents itself, you just have to read your keys.
You know they can do one of three things, ... Somebody has got to run it; somebody has got to block. Or they are both going out for a pass route. We have no idea with both of them in the backfield. And if that presents itself, you just have to read your keys.
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 can still be that defense, if we work to get there.
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're not very difficult to figure out. I think sometimes less is better. We've thrown in a few new wrinkles, but very few. We're just going out and executing.