Derrick Brooks 'keeps door open,' but admits playing days likely over

Once Derrick Brooks stopped searching outside for answers, he found inner peace.

A year after he was dropped by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a veteran purge, the future Hall of Fame linebacker has come to terms with his abrupt departure.

Brooks, who turns 37 next month, worked as an NFL analyst for ESPN and Sirius Radio last fall. Although he hasn't officially announced his retirement as a player, Brooks knows his days of chasing down running backs in the flat are probably over.

"You always keep your door open, but realistically, how good does the situation have to be for me to play again?'' Brooks told The Tampa Tribune during lunch at one of the Bay area's most exclusive golf clubs. "I just know that situation hasn't occurred, and it if doesn't, you close the book and you move on. To me, I have no problems doing that.''

What about a formal retirement day at Raymond James Stadium to let fans show their appreciation?

"To me, I get that every day when I come across someone in the community,'' said Brooks, who began a streak of 10 consecutive Pro Bowl berths in 1997. "I didn't think about it until people started showing their gratitude, telling me they appreciate the way I played the game and what I do for the community.''

Brooks was released Feb. 25, 2009, along with running back Warrick Dunn, linebacker Cato June and wide receivers Ike Hilliard and Joey Galloway. Although the news came as a shock, time has eased the pain.

"As of Feb. 26, I had to come to terms with it,'' Brooks said. "But the process of moving on took time because after 14 years of doing something a certain way, you don't just turn the faucet off. For a good while, maybe a month or two, I was walking around saying, 'What did I do wrong?' That's only human. If all of these things you did for 14 years were so good, what's the problem?

"At the end of the day, maybe it's good that you don't get an answer because if you live your life anticipating that answer, then you're not living at all. It's better to shut the door and move on. There are questions we don't get answered every day, but you still have to have faith. Once I got to that point, I was good.''

Brooks said Josh Freeman impressed him in 2009 and he expects the second-year quarterback to progress this fall, especially if Freeman taps a resource close at hand.

"I think Josh has the tools,'' Brooks said, "and I've been very adamant about him leaning on (Bucs executive and former Super Bowl MVP) Doug Williams. Let Doug show you what it's like to come into this league and play this position in this town. The coaches will be there for the physical things, but there's a mental side of this game that only playing quarterback can take you through. I want Josh to take advantage of someone he can touch every day, just like I did as a young player with Hardy Nickerson.

"They've never had a great quarterback here. They've gone on to greatness when they left Tampa. I want Josh to be the first great one drafted and kept right here in Tampa. It's possible. Josh could be the one.''