Derrick Brooks
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 Commander Naval Region Hawaii, Rear Adm. Michael Vitale, presents the Pro Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP) trophy to Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker, Derrick Brooks. |
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| Tampa Bay Buccaneers — No. 55 | |
| Outside linebacker | |
| Date of birth: April 18, 1973 | |
| Place of birth: Pensacola, Florida | |
| Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | Weight: 235 lb (107 kg) |
| National Football League debut | |
|---|---|
| 1995 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
| Career history | |
| College: Florida State | |
| NFL Draft: 1995 / Round: 1 / Pick: 28 | |
Teams:
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Tackles | 1,630 |
| Sacks | 13.5 |
| INTs | 24 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
Derrick Dewan Brooks (born April 18, 1973 in Pensacola, Florida) is a professional American football linebacker and one of the current team captains of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL.
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[edit] Early years
Brooks starred at Washington High School in Pensacola. In 2007 he was named to the Florida High School Association All-Century Team which selected the Top 33 players in the 100 year history of high school football in the state of Florida's history. Brooks won a state championship in football while at Booker T. Washington high school.
[edit] College career
At Florida State University he was a four-year letterman and was first-team All-American his senior year. Brooks was on the 1993 Seminoles National Championship team.
[edit] Professional career
Brooks was selected in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft by Tampa Bay. Brooks was instrumental in turning the Buccaneers from perennial doormats into eventual Super Bowl champions.
Brooks has long been considered one of the premier linebackers in the NFL, as respected off the field as he is feared on it. He was selected to the Pro Bowl every year from 1997 to 2007, but his 10-year streak ended in 2007, as he did not make the 2008 Pro Bowl. Brooks is one of 4 players in history to be voted to 10 Pro Bowls, named Defensive Player of the Year, and be a Super Bowl Champion. The other 3 are Mike Singletary, Reggie White, and Lawrence Taylor. He has also been named All-Pro 9 times. Brooks currently leads all defensive players in consecutive starts, surpassing the 200 start mark late in the 2007 season.
Brooks also was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press in 2002. That year, Brooks returned three interceptions for touchdowns in the regular season, an NFL record for linebackers, and also returned a fumble for a score, for a total of an NFL record 4 defensive touchdowns at the OLB position. In Super Bowl XXXVII, his 44-yard interception return for a touchdown ensured a victory for the Buccaneers.
Derrick Brooks is the founder of the Brooks Bunch charity and youth scholarship foundation in the Tampa Bay area. He has taken local youngsters across the nation and South Africa with the objective of presenting a first hand experience, or a "mobile classroom." Brooks also headed the founding of the Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School in Tampa.
Brooks is well known for his charity work and his advocacy of the importance of education. He was the co-recipient of the 2000 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award and was named to the Florida State University Board of Trustees in 2003 by Govenor Jeb Bush.
Derrick Brooks won the 2006 Pro Bowl MVP by returning a Trent Green pass 59 yards for a touchdown, leading the NFC to a win. He has also won the Bart Starr Award in 2004 for his off the field accomplishments in the Tampa Bay community.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Michael Strahan |
NFL Defensive Player of the Year 2002 |
Succeeded by Ray Lewis |
| Preceded by Cris Carter |
Walter Payton Man of the Year Award 2000 (Co-Award Winner Jim Flanigan) |
Succeeded by Jerome Bettis |
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