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Derrick Brooks: Ultimate Winner

By JOEY JOHNSTON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 26, 2009

Who Is The Greatest Player In Bucs History?

SIMPLY THE BEST

One man's choices for the all-time top 10 players in Buccaneer franchise history:

Player	Pos.	Years	Comment
1. Derrick Brooks	LB	1995-2008	The ultimate winner - on and off the field
2. Lee Roy Selmon	DE	1976-1985	Franchise's only Pro Football Hall of Famer
3. Warren Sapp	DT	1995-2003	For five seasons (or more), the best at his position
4. John Lynch	SS	1993-2003	Offensive players always had to account for No. 47
5. Ronde Barber	CB	1997-present	Who can forget his interception in Philadelphia?
6. Hardy Nickerson	LB	1993-1999	Don't underrate his ability to set defensive tone
7. Doug Williams	QB	1978-82	Three playoff appearances in his five seasons
8. Mike Alstott	RB	1996-2007	A-Train might have been team's most popular player
9. James Wilder	RB	1981-89	He's still the franchise's all-time leading rusher
10. Paul Gruber	OT	1987-99	Quiet man became a rock of stability at left tackle

Number of times as All-American at Florida State University.

3.94

Grade-point average at Pensacola's Washington High School.

Players who were named to 10 consecutive Pro Bowls, won AP Defensive Player of the Year and won a Super Bowl (Brooks, Ray Lewis, Mike Singletary, Lawrence Taylor and Reggie White).

Career touchdowns on interceptions and fumble returns.

Number of consecutive seasons with 100 or more tackles (had 80 tackles as a rookie in 1995).

16:3

His favorite Scripture verse is Proverbs 16:3 - "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."

Single-game career-high in tackles vs. Vikings, 2001.

Number of career interceptions

Brooks was the 28th overall player selected in the 1995 NFL draft.

Brooks was named among the top 33 players ever in Florida high school football during the 100-year anniversary of the sport being played in the state.

OFF THE FIELD

Standing for more than just football, Brooks has:

• Established the "Brooks Bunch," right, a group of kids from Belmont Heights, Ybor City and the Brandon Boys and Girls Clubs. He has taken them on trips to Washington, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, the Western United States and Africa.

•Served as co-founder of the Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School, a Tampa charter school.

•Served on the FSU Board of Trustees since 2003.

•Received the 2000 Walter Payton/NFL Man of the Year award, the 2003 Bart Starr Award (outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community), and the 2004 Byron "Whizzer" White Award (dedication to team, community and country).

MEMORABLE PLAYS

A few standout moments from Brooks' career as a Buc:

•Nov. 16, 2008 - Brooks, reading the play perfectly, runs down Vikings RB Adrian Peterson on a fourth-and-1 play, knocking a pass from his hands and preventing a probable touchdown. Peterson had slipped away from primary cover man Barrett Ruud, leaving Brooks to cover enormous ground and make an improbable play.

•Jan. 26, 2003 - With the Bucs leading the Raiders 34-21 in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XXXVII, Brooks picks off Rich Gannon and returns it 44 yards for an exclamation-point touchdown.

•Sept. 15, 2002 - Brooks travels 97 yards with an interception return - the longest play of his career - and his touchdown is the highlight of a 25-0 road win against the Ravens.

•Sept. 23, 2002 - Getting a crunching block from Warren Sapp on Rams QB Kurt Warner, Brooks scores on a 39-yard interception return on "Monday Night Football," clinching a 26-14 victory.

•Jan. 23, 2000 - Sending an early message in a rugged NFC Championship Game - Rams 11, Bucs 6 - Brooks levels Rams WR Torry Holt, bruising his ribs and causing him to spit up blood on the sideline. Has 17 tackles overall (after registering 18 one week earlier against the Redskins in the NFC divisional playoffs).

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