Happy Birthday! 10 Things You Should Know About Derrick Brooks Jesse Uruchima 1h ago 
Image via Tampa Bay Times In 2002, the Buccaneers played the most dominant defensive game in the most important game in its franchise history. The team went on to win Super Bowl XXXVII and a pair of Hall of Famers completed their career resumes. Derrick Brooks put the exclamation point on that game and in the Buccaneers franchise. Today, we celebrate Derrick Brooks’ birthday as he turns 42 years old and we’re commemorating his legacy with 10 things you should know about Derrick Brooks.
Two Hall of Famers is Great CompanyIn the 1995 draft day, the Bucs acquired two Hall of Famers in the first round; Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks. Since 1965, the Chicago Bears made the best picks in a round in draft history; picking Hall of Famers Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers. With respect to the Chicago Bears’ history, the Buccaneers drafted two hometown guys from Florida, who also played their collegiate football in the state of Florida. The Bucs swept the Bears’ 30 years of bragging rights for their drafting achievement. Bucs’ fans just hope this year’s first overall pick can potentially be anything close to Hall of Fame.
He was the Buccaneers Defensive Iron HorseThe NFL had announced retirements of young-gifted defensive players. Just like the saying goes, “they don’t make like they used to.” With respect to their decisions, the quote does come to fruition as we look into Derrick Brooks’ playing career. Since entering the NFL draft in 1995, Brooks played every game in his NFL career. You would figure an injury would have held him from performing, however, Brooks started every game except for 3 games in his rookie season.
He Preferred the Type of Heat No One Else Could HandleIt’s tough when you get sized up with a legend, but Brooks brought the heat. According to his teammates at the time, Brooks would crank up the sauna so high that no one else could take it. Players would enter the sauna before or after Brooks, just to avoid showing signs of weakness. Brooks made sure he was the last one out of the sauna. If you can’t take the heat, just avoid it.
Brooks Is One of Only Six Players to Accomplish What He Did in 2002There is always a debate in sports as to what defines an MVP. Peyton Manning won the prestigious award five times in his career and only took home the Lombardi trophy once. When Derrick Brooks won the MVP award in 2002, no one was more deserving (117 tackles, 5 interceptions which 3 went for a touchdown). At the time, the then 29 year-old Brooks became one of only six players to win the AP Defensive MVP award, make the Pro Bowl, and win the Super Bowl in 2002. At the end of that season, Brooks needed another shelf for the rest of his expected trophies.
He’s the President of the AFL’s Tampa Bay StormIf you are Derrick Brooks, life after football consists of even more football. In 2011, Brooks was appointed president of the Arena Football League’s Tampa Bay Storm. His intention is to gain experience with football operations to later make the transition to the NFL. A similar style to John Elway’s front office career. If Brooks would ever take over any NFL football operations, the Glazer family should surely welcome him home.
He Founded the Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High SchoolToday’s NFL players are finding themselves in bankruptcy trouble due to mismanaging their money. Derrick Brooks has taken action in preventing financial troubles with our future leaders. Brooks, and former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo, founded the Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High School, a Tampa Bay charter school. The school has been a success, thanks to a 100 percent graduation rate and alumni going on to study in Harvard and MIT. In about 15 years, there’s a good chance that one of these young kids will be our nation’s leader.
He Still Occasionally Thinks About Not Being Able to Properly Pass Down Leadership TorchIn the 2008 draft, Derrick Brooks begged the Bucs to draft Florida State Seminoles’ Geno Hayes. Brooks was looking for his heir apparent to the face of the franchise. He felt like a combination of the young outside linebacker Hayes, at 6-foot-1 and 226-pounds, and Ronde Barber could fit the bill. Unfortunately, they just played one season together and Brooks got cut in 2009. The following season, Hayes replaced Brooks on the starting depth chart.
The Brilliance of GM Rich McKay Got Brooks on the BucsImagine Derrick Brooks a Dallas Cowboy? In the 1995 draft, the Bucs traded their higher first round pick (7th overall) and a third rounder for the Philadelphia Eagles’ first-rounder (12th overall) and two second rounders. They turned the two second round selections into the Cowboys’ first-rounder (28th overall) and that became Brooks. 
Brooks’ Mom and 6-Year-Old Sister Convinced Him That Florida State Was the Right ChoiceThere is no place like home, and Brooks chose Florida State University because it felt like home. Brooks recognized the potential to play for the best college football program and for a future Hall of Fame coach in Bobby Bowden. However, his decision was made easy when he realized how Bowden put his family at ease.As Bowden sat down in the living room with Brooks and his mother, Geraldine, Brooks’ 6-year-old sister, Latoya, crawled up from the floor onto the coach’s lap. Soon, she fell asleep in Bowden’s arms.“I looked at my mom and she nodded, and I could tell by her demeanor, that is the coach she wanted me to play for,” Brooks said. “It’s a true story.”
Education First, Football SecondBrooks admits the toughest experience in college was when he got two C’s his freshman year in FSU. Hall of Fame Coach Bobby Bowden did not take that lightly. As a true father figure, coach Bowden would not accept satisfactory. Brooks hit the books and graduated with a cumulative GPA of 3.89 and a degree in communications. He later received a masters degree from FSU in 2001, as well as an honorary doctorate from Saint Leo University.Happy Birthday Derrick Brooks.link
