Derrick Brooks

Bio

A two-time unanimous First Team All-American (1993 and 1994), Derrick Brooks led Florida State to its first-ever national championship in 1993. He becomes the sixth Seminole player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.. The 1994 ACC Player of the Year, Brooks guided Florida State to victories in four consecutive bowl games, including the 18-16 win over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl for the national title. The three-time First Team All-ACC selection led the Seminoles to three-straight ACC titles and a 42-7 record, and the team never finished with a final ranking lower than fourth during his career. A team captain his senior season, Brooks was a finalist for the Butkus, Rotary Lombardi and FWAA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1993 and 1994 while playing for College Football Hall of Fame coach Bobby Bowden. The standout four-year letterman finished his career with 274 tackles, 8.5 sacks and five interceptions, and he was named MVP of the Senior Bowl. Brooks was just as stellar off the field as a 1994 NFF National Scholar-Athlete and two-time Academic All-American. He was also a three-time Academic All-ACC honoree and a recipient of an NCAA postgraduate scholarship. Brooks’ No. 10 jersey is retired at Florida State, and he is a member of both the Seminoles’ and CoSIDA Academic All-America halls of fame. Drafted in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brooks spent his entire 14-year career with the franchise. The 11-time Pro Bowl selection never missed a game during his pro career and led the Bucs to a victory in Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003. A 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, he had his number retired by Tampa Bay and is a member of the team’s ring of honor. Brooks continued to impress during and after his pro career, earning his master’s degree in business communications in 1999. His numerous community initiatives have included establishing Brooks Bunch, founding Derrick Brooks Charities, and establishing Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High, a nonprofit public charter school. He was named the 2000 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year and the 2014 Boys and Girls Club Community Champion. Appointed by the Governor of Florida to serve as chairman of the Governor’s Council on Physical Education, Brooks also served on the FSU Board of Trustees.

Career Highlights

• 1994 Academic All-America
• 1994 All-Conference
• 1994 Conference MVP
• 1994 NCAA Post Graduate Scholar
• 1994 NFF Scholar-Athlete
• 1994 Unanimous All-America
• 1993 All-Conference
• 1993 Unanimous All-America
• 1992 All-Conference