Derrick Brooks

He was born on April 18th, 1973 in Pensacola, FL. Having won football championships at both the high school and college level, he came into the NFL in 1995 with clear goals and a work ethic necessary to see them realized.

This native Floridian and first round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wanted to establish himself as one of the league’s best linebackers. He also wanted to create a charitable foundation to rescue and educate kids who were falling between the cracks. By any one’s standards, Derrick Brooks succeeded on both accounts. He was the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2002, chosen to play in the NFL’s All Pro Game for ten straight ears, and was selected to the Pro Bowl MVP in 2006. He also earned a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII.

Beyond the field, Derrick Brooks has become well known for his charity work as well as his advocacy for education. He may have retired from the NFL in 2010 but the foundation he created, Derrick Brooks Charities, Inc., continues to impact young lives through countless community programs, exciting educational excursions, and collaborative work with other organizations like The Champions Fund, Inc., a group that provides recycled sports equipment for disadvantaged youth. As part of his Brooks Bunch charity, Derrick has taken
Tampa Bay youngsters across the nation and as far as South Africa in order to give them what he sees as a first-hand experience in a mobile classroom. Derrick Brooks Charities, Inc. is guided by a commitment to put God first and treat others the way they would want to be treated.

In today’s Southern Quote we hear the heart of a man who was known as one of the NFL’s most charitable gentle giants. Derrick Brooks once said, “You can pull yourself up but you got to throw the rope back down because there are a lot of people behind you.”