Teams Derrick Brooks Has Played For:
Early Life:
Derrick Dewan Brooks was born April 18, 1973 in Pensacola, Florida. At Booker T. Washington High School, he lettered in football and baseball. As a senior, Brooks was the USA Today High School Defensive Player of the Year, a first team Parade All-America selection and a first team all-state pick. Brooks was rated as the best safety in the country by several recruiting services and was ranked as the best defensive player in the country by Super Prep. In 1989, Brooks carried the Pensacola Washington Wildcats to the state playoff semifinals, where they lost to the eventual champion Bradenton Manatee Hurricanes. Brooks was also a high school honor student, graduating with 3.94 GPA. 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.
Florida State Seminoles-1991-Freshman Year:
Brooks started off his freshman year at Florida State as a safety, and was one of only 2 freshman in FSU football history to earn a letter. Brooks saw action in all 11 contests and produced 22 tackles (10 solo and 12 assisted) as a reserve strong safety. The Seminoles finished the year with an 11-1 record and a trip to the Blockbuster Bowl (now the Champs Sports Bowl), where #6 ranked Florida State beat the #7 ranked Penn State Nittnay Lions 24-17.
Florida State Seminoles-1992-Sophomore Year:
Brooks was moved to linebacker for his sophmore year, and the move payed off big time, as Brooks earned All-America honors from Football News and was also a First Team All-ACC choice. Brooks started all 11 games at outside LB and produced a career-best 98 tackles (55 were solo and 43 were assisted). He also registed 3.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. Florida State finished the year with an 11-1 record, and won the ACC Championship. The Seminoles were the #3 ranked team in the country, and went to the Orange Bowl, were they beat the #11 ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers 27-14. Fellow LB Marvin Jones won both the 1992 Dick Butkus Award (Best Linbacker) and the 1992 Vince Lombardi Award (Best Lineman)
Florida State Seminoles-1993-Junior Year:
As a junior, Derrick Brooks was named a First-Team All-American by the Football Writers Association and Walter Camp. Brooks was also a Consensus First-Team All-ACC choice and was that conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. Brooks was a finalist for the Dick Butkus Award, the Vince Lombardi Award and the Football Writers’ Defensive Player of the Year award. Brooks racked up 77 tackles (47 were solo, and 30 were assisted), 2 interceptions, two sacks, five passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Brooks also had two touchdowns on interception returns, which tied the single-season school record set by CB Deion Sanders and CB Terrell Buckley. He aslo had 3 defensive touchdowns overall, which tied John Wessel’s FSU mark. The Seminoles finished the year with an 12-1 and were ranked #2 in the country. They played for the National Championship (Orange Bowl) against the #1 ranked team in the land, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Brooks and the Seminoles won the game 18-16, and the Florida State Seminoles were the 1993 NCAA Division 1 National Champions.
Florida State Seminoles-1994-Senior Year:
Brooks had a great senior year at FSU. His senior honors included being a First-Team All-American by American Football Coaches, UPI and Walter Camp. Brooks was also a GTE Academic All-American choice. He was also a First-Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference choice, and was selected for Senior Bowl, where he was named the Senior Bowl MVP. (In 2004, Brooks was named to the Senior Bowl Hall Of Fame, along with Christian Okoye (Azusa Pacific Cougars and Kansas City Chiefs) and Richard Todd (Alabama Crimson Tide and New York Jets) For two consecutive years, Brooks was a finalist for the Vince Lombardi Award, symbolic of nation’s top lineman/linebacker. In nine starts, Brooks finished second on the team with 77 tackles to go with three interceptions, three sacks, six passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. It was now time for the next chapter in Derrick Brooks life...The NFL.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers-1995:
In the 1995 NFL Draft, Brooks was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 28th overall pick in the 1st Round. He was the second of two first-round picks that the Buccaneers had in the 1995 Draft. The Buccaneers 1st Round choice to pick Brooks was obtained from the Dallas Cowboys for pair of 1995 2nd rounders. For the record, those 2 picks turned out to be Tight End Kendall Watkins from the Mississippi State Bulldogs (#59) and Guard Shane Hannah from the Michigan State Spartans (#63)
As a rookie, Brooks appeared in all 16 games with 13 starts at linebacker as team opened up three contests in nickel defense. He enjoyed a productive rookie campaign, as he earned a starting spot in training camp. Brooks was perhaps the top rookie linebacker in lthe NFL as evidenced by his First Team All-Rookie honors from Pro Football Weekly, PFWA, Football News and College and Pro Football Newsweekly. His 3 non-starts came when the Bucs opened with extra defensive backs against run-and-shoot teams. Brooks ranked second on the club with 80 tackles to go with one sack, two forced fumbles, four passes defensed and three special team solo tackles. In his first NFL game, started at RLB and notched seven tackles and a pass breakup in win at the Philadelphia Eagles on September 3. In his best outing, was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Player of the Game at the Minnesota Vikings on December 3 because of his seven solo tackles, his first career sack and a forced fumble.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers-1996:
Brooks sarted all 16 games at linebacker and led the with 133 tackles. In the process, he broke LB Hardy Nickerson’s three-year string of leading the defense in tackles. Brooks provided outstanding pass coverage as well, tying for the team lead with 12 passes defensed, then the most ever recorded in a single season by a Tampa Bay linebacker. Brooks finished season with 133 tackles, one forced fumble, one interception and six special teams tackle. Brooks turned in the Buccaneers’ top single-game performance of the year during nationally-televised game at the Denver Broncos on September 15 with a then career-best 19 tackles (18 were solo, and one was assisted), one interception and one pass defensed. Brooks notched 12 tackles and one pass defensed at the Green Bay Packers on October 27. Brooks tied a career high with four passes defensed and added 10 tackles against the Washington Redskins on December 8. In game at the Minnesota Vikings on December 15, he led the squad with 11 stops, while also forcing a Vikings fumble and recording one pass defensed.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers-1997:
Brooks was one of only five defensive players to start all 16 regular season and both playoff games. Brooks started all 16 games for the second consecutive season, and posted 182 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and 10 passes defensed on way to earning first career Pro Bowl selection. Brooks contributed to a season-opening 13-6 defeat of the San Francisco 49ers on August 31 by matching DT Warren Sapp with a team-best 11 tackles and assisting on a sack. In a Week 6 contest at the Green Bay Packers on October 5, he posted season-high 18 tackles, and ended two Packers drives with clutch third-down stops to force punts. Brooks hauled in his first interception of the season against the New England Patriots on November 16, adding three tackles and a pair of passes defensed. Two weeks later at the New York Giants on November 30, Brooks had his most complete outing of season, pacing team with 11 tackles, breaking up two pass attempts and snaring a second interception of season on a diving effort at the Tampa Bay 10-yard line. Brooks led the team in postseason tackles with a combined 21 in two games, including a team-high 13 in 20-10 Wild Card victory over the Detroit Lions on December 28 and another eight at the Green Bay Packers on January 4.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers-1998:
Brooks started all 16 games at weakside linebacker for the third consecutive season, and started in the Pro Bowl at outside linebacker, making his second consecutive appearance in the all-star game. He was also a first-team All-Pro Choice by Sports Illustrated, USA Today and Football Digest, a second-team All-Pro Choice by the Associated Press and College and Pro Football Newsweekly and an All-NFC selection by Pro Football Weekly and Football News. He led all Buccaneers with 189 tackles, then the third-highest total in team history behind the 214 posted by LB Hardy Nickerson in 1993 and Nickerson’s 194 in 1997. Brooks also pitched in with one interception (which was returned 25 yards), five passes defensed and two forced fumbles. Brooks reached double digits in tackles in 9 of the team’s 16 games and had at least 15 stops on seven occasions. He opened the season with an outstanding effort at the Minnesota Vikings on September 6, leading the team with 17 tackles (12 were solo and 5 were assisted). Brooks recorded one forced fumble and 20 stops against the Carolina Panthers on October 18, tying for the then third-best single-game tackle mark in team history, just one behind the then record of 21, achieved twice by fellow LB Hardy Nickerson. Brooks recorded 15 tackles and one forced fumble at the New Orleans Saints on October 25, and had 10 stops plus a crucial fourth quarter interception in the Buccaneers 27-24 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Novemeber 1. He helped the Buccaneers to a Monday Night Football win over the Green Bay Packers on December 7 by leading all defenders with 17 tackles, and was the key factor in holding the Pittsburgh Steelers to 166 total yards of offense, leading all players with 18 stops, including one for a six-yard loss on December 13.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers-1999:
In 1999, Brooks was named to the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive season, and was also named as a starter in the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive season. He earned 1st team All-Pro Honors from the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly, College and Pro Football Newsweekly, Football Digest and The Sporting News. Brooks started all 16 games at weakside linebacker for the fourth consecutive season. For the season, Brooks collected 180 tackles, recovered two fumbles and posted then career-highs in interceptions with 4, forced fumbles with 2 and sacks with 2, and also posted a career high in passes defensed with 20. Brooks was the lone Buccaneer to crack every statistical category. He racked up 12 tackles in season-opening loss to the New York Giants on September 12 and notched 13 stops and one pass defensed at the Philadelphia Eagles on September 19. Brooks recorded 10 tackles and one pass defensed in 13-10 win over the Denver Broncos on September 26. He had seven tackles at the Minnesota Vikings on October 3and one week later, he added eight stops at the Green Bay Packers. Brooks was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week after an exceptional performance in 6-3 win over the Chicago Bears on October 24, as he racked up 13 tackles, career-high tying four passes defensed and career-high two interceptions. In the game, he intercepted QB Cade McNown at the Bucs 21-yard line in the third quarter, and then picked off QB Jim Miller at midfield with 45 seconds left, one of three passes defensed on Chicago’s final drive. Brooks posted eight tackles at the Detroit Lions on Halloween (October 31), and recorded 10 tackles and two passes defensed in 31-16 win at the New Orleans Saints on November 7. In the Saints game, he picked off QB Billy Joe Tolliver, returning the theft 38 yards to set up a touchdown. On November 14, Brooks collected a season-high 17 stops and one pass defensed against the Kansas City Chiefs. (Brooks also forced a fumble that led to a field goal). He racked up 14 tackles, one sack, one pass defensed and one forced fumble vs. the Atlanta Falcons on Novemeber 21. (On a side note, his forced fumble was snared by CB Donnie Abraham, who returned it 47 yards for a score) Brooks blanketed the Seattle Kingdome turf, amassing 12 tackles, three passes defensed, one interception and one sack in 16-3 win over the Seattle Seahawks on November 28. His pick set up a field goal, while his 15-yard sack of QB Jon Kitna knocked Seattle out of FG range. Brooks had eight tackles and one pass defensed in Monday Night win over the Minnesota Vikings on December 6. He racked up 16 tackles and broke up four passes in crucial division win over the Detriot Lions on December 12. Brooks recorded 13 tackles, two passes defensed and one fumble recovery in win over the Green Bay Packers on December 26. Brooks paced the Bucs in tackles for 12th time, collecting 11 stops in division-clinching win at the Chicago Bears on January 2. He set the Tampa Bay playoff record with 18 tackles in 14-13 Divisional win over the Washington Redskins on January 15, and added 17 stops at the St. Louis Rams in NFC Championship Game on January 23, which the Bucs lost to Kurt Warner and the Super Bowl Champion Rams.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers-2000:
Brooks earned Pro Bowl honors for the fourth consecutive season and was named as a starter for the third consecutive season. He also earned First-Team All-Pro honors from the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly, College and Pro Football Newsweekly, Football Digest and The Sporting News and was named co-recipient of Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award (Along with Chicago Bears DL Jim Flanigan) and also chosen as the Buccaneers Most Valuable Player. Brooks again started all 16 games for the fifth consecutive season and a playoff contest at weakside linebacker. Brooks collected a team-best 179 tackles, forced a career-high five fumbles, posted one interception return for a touchdown, had 11 passes defensed and one sack. He led or tied for the team lead in tackles in 10 of the 16 games. Brooks opened the regular season at the New England Patriots on September 3 with a team-leading 16 tackles (12 were solo, and 4 were assisted), a pass defensed and forced a crucial third quarter fumble, and he was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts. Brooks continued to lead the defense against the Chicago Bears on September 10 with 13 stops (11 were solo, and 2 were assisted). Brooks helped turn in the fourth shutout in team history and the first home blanking in 15 years as he led the team in tackles for the third consecutive week with an 11-tackle performance and a forced fumble at the Detroit Lions on September 17. Brooks had 17 tackles (12 were solo and 5 were assisted) and contributed two passes defensed at the Washington Redskins on October 1. He played another excellent game in a Monday Night matchup at the Minnesota Vikings a week later, totaling 11 tackles with one forced fumble, and he had nine tackles and two passes defensed in Thursday night prime-time matchup against the Detroit Lions on October 19. Brooks played a spectacular game vs. the Minnesota Vikings on October 29, recording his first career NFL touchdown on a 34-yard interception against Pro Bowl QB Daunte Culpepper in the second quarter, and he also contributed seven tackles and two passes defensed. Brooks led the team in tackles with 15 at the Chicago Bears on November 19, and then tied a then club record with a then career-high 22 tackles against the Buffalo Bills a week later on November 26. Brooks was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for November for his efforts. To start off December, Brooks recorded 10 tackles and two passes defensed vs. the Dallas Cowboys on December 3, as well as forcing a key fumble in the fourth quarter on Dallas RB and Future Hall Of Famer Emmitt Smith. Brooks showed great awareness on a rainy day at the Miami Dolphins on December 10, recording 11 tackles and one pass defensed. Brooks helped hold the high-powered St. Louis Rams offense to less than 100 yards rushing on Monday Night game and had eight tackles and one pass defensed on December 18. At the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Eve, Brooks had only two tackles before leaving the contest with a right shoulder sprain, but he returned to action the following week, collecting eight tackles in the NFC Wild Card matchup at the Philadelphia Eagles on December 31.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers-2001:
Brooks was named to his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl and as a starter for the fourth consecutive season. He was also voted to the AP All-Pro second-team, and was named to both the Football News and Pro Football Weekly’s All-NFC Team. Brooks started all 16 games for the sixth straight season, and had a team-best 165 tackles, three interceptions, one forced fumble and 11 passes defensed on the year. Brooks started in his 105th career game against the Detroit Lions om December 9, moving into fifth place on the club’s all-time games started list. Brooks also helped the Tampa Bay defense finish among the NFL’s Top 10 (6th) for the fifth straight year, the only team in the league to do so. Brooks set the franchise record with 23 tackles (18 were solo, and 5 were assisted) at the Minnesota Vikings on September 30, breaking single-game mark previously held by himself and LB Hardy Nickerson. He also had an interception on the Vikings’ opening possession, which led to a Martin Gramatica FG, and added one pass defensed. Brooks led the team with 12 tackles at the Green Bay Packers on November 4, surpassing the 1,000-tackle mark for his career. Brooks became the Tampa Bay Buccaneers all-time leading tackler with 10 tackles against the Chicago Bears on November 18. Brooks led the team in tackles at the St. Louis Rams on November 26 with 12 stops and also had two passes defensed, the last pass defensed led to an interception by S John Lynch that sealed the win. Brooks roamed the field with a team-high 16 tackles at the Cincinnati Bengals on December 2. Brooks was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Baltimore Ravens on December 29, leading the defense with 20 tackles, two passes defensed and an interception, which was returned for 53 yards to the one-yard line and QB Brad Johnson scored two plays later. Brooks led the team with nine tackles in the Buccaneers playoff loss at the Philadelphia Eagles on January 12.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers-2002:
Brooks was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press while helping lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to their first Super Bowl championship. Brooks was selected to his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl, along with DT Warren Sapp, which tyed DE Lee Roy Selmon’s team record for total and consecutive appearances. Brooks was also named as a starter in the Pro Bowl for the fifth consecutive season. Brooks was garnered as an AP All-Pro First-Team honors for the third time in the last four seasons. Brooks was honored as the 2002 NFL Alumni Linebacker of the Year, and was also named the Defensive Player of the Year and All-Pro by College and Pro Football Newsweekly. Brooks was honored as Defensive MVP and named to the All-NFL and All-NFC teams by Pro Football Weekly. Brooks also earned All-Pro honors from Sports rooks was named to the Pro Bowl for the seventh consecutive season, breaking DE Lee Roy Selmon’s team record (tied along with DT Warren Sapp) for total appearances and consecutive appearances. Brooks was also selected a starter for the sixth consecutive year, but did not play in the game. He was named a 2nd-Team All-Pro by the Associated Press, and started all 16 games at weakside linebacker for the eighth consecutive season. Brooks was part of a defense that ranked fifth in the NFL, marking the seventh consecutive year the Tampa Bay defense has finished among the NFL’s Top 10. Brooks ranked first on the team with 151 tackles, and was tied for second on the team with two interceptions, while adding three forced fumbles, nine passes defensed, one sack and one special teams stop. Brooks led team with 10 tackles at the Atlanta Falcons on September 21, and he also helped the Tampa Bay defense limit the Falcons to 136 total yards, the seventh-best defensive effort in club history. Brooks posted his first interception of the season off QB Patrick Ramsey at the Washington Redskins on October 12 returning it 44 yards for a touchdown to seal the victory in the fourth quarter. Brooks finished the game with a team-high 11 tackles and one pass defensed. Brooks posted his second interception of the season, picking off a QB Aaron Brooks pass in the third quarter against the New Orleans Saints on November 12. Brooks finished the game with 12 tackles and one pass defensed. Brooks recorded 10 tackles and two passes defensed against the Green Bay Packers on November 16, and added one special teams tackle. Brooks led the team with a season-high 15 tackles at the Jacksonville Jaguars on November 30, and also added two forced fumbles and one pass defensed in that game. Brooks totaled 13 tackles and one forced fumble at the New Orleans Saints on December 7, while also posting first sack of the season, dropping Saints QB Aaron Brooks. Brooks finished the contest vs. the Houston Texans on December 14 with six tackles and one pass defensed, and he was part of a defensive effort that surrendered just 107 total yards to the Texans, tying for the second-lowest total in team history.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers-2004:
Brooks was named to a team-record eighth consecutive Pro Bowl, ranking him tied for sixth for most consecutive Pro Bowls by a linebacker in NFL history, and was selected as a Pro Bowl starter for the seventh consecutive season. Brooks earned AP All-Pro First-Team honors for the fifth time in his career and was also named to the Pro Football Weekly/PFWA All-NFL Team. Brooks earned first-team All-Pro honors from the Football Digest, and garnered second-team All-Pro recognition from College & Pro Football Weekly, while also earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in Week 13 against the Atlanta Falcons on December 5. Brooks was part of a defense that finished the season ranked fifth in the NFL in total defense, marking the third consecutive season the unit has ranked in the top five and sixth time in the last 8 years. Brooks reached the 100-tackle plateau for the ninth consecutive season, tying him for the NFL lead (LB Zach Thomas – Texas Tech Red Raiders/Miami Dolphins). Brooks led the team in tackles for the seventh consecutive season with 172 tackles, and had a career-high three sacks, one interception, three forced fumbles and six passes defensed. Brooks posted his first interception of the season against the Seattle Seahawks on September 19, and led the team with 10 tackles while helping limit the Seahawks to 182 total yards. Brooks tied for the team lead with a season-high 14 tackles against the Denver Broncoes on October 3. Brooks notched eight tackles vs. the San Francisco 49ers on November 21, and also recorded one sack and one forced fumble that set up the Buccaneers first touchdown of the afternoon against the 49ers. Brooks was part of a defensive effort that limited the 49ers offense to 26 total yards and two first downs in the first half. As mentioned earlier, Brooks earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week Honors after leading the team with 13 tackles, including a career-high two sacks of QB Michael Vick against the Atlanta Falcons on December 5, and also added two forced fumbles and two passes defensed vs the Falcons. Brooks also helped the Tampa Bay defense post ninth shutout in franchise history and first of the season against the Falcons.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers-2005:
Brooks was named to his club-record ninth consecutive Pro Bowl to become only the seventh linebacker in NFL history to be selected the Pro Bowl at least nine times, and his nine total Pro Bowl selections are also a team record. Brooks was also named a starter in the Pro Bowl for the eighth consecutive season, and garnered Pro Bowl Player of the Game honors after returning an interception 59 yards for a touchdown in the NFC’s victory. Brooks also earned AP All-Pro First-Team honors for the fifth time. Brooks started all 16 contests on the season for the 10th consecutive year as well as playoff game vs. the Washington Redskins. Brooks finished the season with 174 tackles, three sacks, 5 tackles for loss, one interception, one forced fumble and 15 passes defensed. Brooks reached the 100-tackle plateau for the 10th consecutive season in 2005, tying him again for the NFL lead with LB Zach Thomas (Texas Tech Red Raiders-Miami Dolphins) Brooks posted a then season-high 11 tackles and one pass defensed against the Detroit Lions on October 2. Brooks established a then-season high with 13 tackles at the Atlanta Falcons on November 20, along with one sack, one pass defensed and one forced fumble. His sack and forced fumble of QB Michael Vick came in the final minute of regulation and set up the Buccaneers game-winning field goal. For the fourth consecutive week, Brooks either tied or established a new season-high by posting a season-best and team-high 17 tackles vs. the Chicago Bears on November 27. Brooks tied for the team lead with 12 tackles at the New Orleans Saints on December 4. Brooks posted his third sack of the season along with 12 tackles and one pass defensed against the Atlanta Falcons on Christmas Eve (December 24). Brooks tied his season-high with 17 tackles vs. the New Orleans Saints on January 1, and finished the NFC Wild Card game vs. the Washington Redskins on January 7 with eight tackles, including one TFL (Tackle For Loss), and one forced fumble.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers-2006:
Brooks was named to his club-record 10th consecutive Pro Bowl to become only the fourth linebacker in NFL history to be selected to the Pro Bowl at least 10 times. His 10 total Pro Bowl selections are also a team record. Brooks started all 16 contests for the 11th consecutive season, and led the team in tackles (150) for the ninth time in his career. Brooks reached the 100-tackle plateau for the 11th consecutive season, again tying him for the NFL lead (LB Zach Thomas-Texas Tech Red Raiders– Miami Dolphins) Brooks finished the season with 150 tackles, three interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, and seven passes defensed. Brooks tied for the team lead with 13 tackles, including one TFL, in season opener vs. the Baltimore Ravens on September 10. Brooks appeared in his 184th career game to move into first place in team history for most career games played vs. the New Orleans Saints on November 5, and he finished game against the Saints with a team-leading and season-high 15 tackles, including two TFL. Brooks recorded eight tackles, one interception and two passes defensed at the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 3. Brooks recorded his first touchdown of the season at the Cleveland Browns on Christmas Eve (December 24), when he picked off QB Derek Anderson, returning it 21 yards for a touchdown.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers-2007:
Brooks started all 16 contests for the 12th consecutive season. His 192 consecutive starts are most among all active NFL defensive players. Brooks became the Tampa Bay Buccaneers all-time leader in playoff games played (11) and started (11) with start in NFC Wild Card game vs. the New York Giants January 6. Brooks was named to the USA Today’s 2007 All-Interview Team. Brooks reached the 100-tackle plateau for the 12th consecutive season to tie for the lead among active players, collecting 162 tackles, ranking second on the team, while also tying for second on the team with three forced fumbles and added two passes defensed. Brooks led the team with a then season-high 16 tackles vs. the St. Louis Rams on September 23. Brooks led team with a season-high 18 tackles at the Indianapolis Colts on October 7. Brooks surpassed the 2,000 career-tackle plateau after collecting nine tackles at the Detroit Lions on October 21, and a week later, Brooks appeared in his 200th career game vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 28 and led the team with 16 tackles. Brooks made his 200th career start vs. the Washington Redskins on November 25, and led the team with 16 tackles.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers-2008:
Brooks was named to his 11th Pro Bowl, which is a team record and tied for second in NFL history for most selections by a linebacker. Brooks was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his Week 4 performance against the Green Bay Packers. Brooks started all 16 contests on the season, and was named a defensive team captain. Brooks ranked second on the team with 111 tackles, his 13th consecutive season of at least 100 tackles. For the year, Brooks totaled 111 tackles, seven TFLs, one interception, eight passes defensed and one forced fumble. Brooks finished the contest vs. the Green Bay Packers on September 28 with five tackles, including two TFLs, one interception, three passes defensed and one forced fumble, which was returned 38 yards for a touchdown by S Jermaine Phillips. Brooks posted a then season-high 13 tackles at the Kansas City Chiefs on November 2. Brooks notched a season-high 15 tackles, including two TFL at the Atlanta Falcons on December 14. In his final game as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brooks posted nine tackles, including one TFL, vs. the Oakland Raiders on December 28.
Hall Of Fame-2014-1st Year:
On January 10th, 2014, Brooks was named among the 15 modern-era Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists. He was joined by other former Buccaneers, as safety John Lynch (who was Brooks' teammate from 1995 to 2004) and head coach Tony Dungy (who coached Brooks from 1996 to 2001) were also finalists. On February 1, Brooks was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He is the third Hall of Famer to have earned his credentials primarily as a Buc, the others being Lee Roy Selmon and Warren Sapp (Brooks' teammate from 1995 to 2003).
Derrick Brooks College Stats:
Year Team Games Tackles Solo Sacks INT
1991 Florida State 11 22 10 0 0
1992 Florida State 11 98 55 3.5 0
1993 Florida State 12 77 47 2 2
1994 Florida State 9 77 41 3 3
Total Florida State 43 274 153 8.5 5
Derrick Brooks NFL Stats:
Year Team Games Tackles Solo Sacks INT
1995 Tampa Bay 16 100 81 1 0
1996 Tampa Bay 16 175 134 0 1
1997 Tampa Bay 16 187 144 1.5 2
1998 Tampa Bay 16 191 156 0 1
1999 Tampa Bay 16 189 153 2 4
2000 Tampa Bay 16 163 140 1 1
2001 Tampa Bay 16 145 112 0 3
2002 Tampa Bay 16 147 117 1 5
2003 Tampa Bay 16 131 101 1 2
2004 Tampa Bay 16 165 137 3 1
2005 Tampa Bay 16 157 125 3 1
2006 Tampa Bay 16 146 121 0 3
2007 Tampa Bay 16 134 109 0 0
2008 Tampa Bay 16 88 73 0 1
Total Tampa Bay 224 2118 1703 13.5 25
