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Pastimes : Football Forum (NFL) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: mistermj who wrote (17597)	1/9/2003 8:30:57 AM
From: Road Walker	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 45644

Good article on what you would like see from all NFL players: There's a lot more to Brooks than awards By JOHN ROMANO, Times Sports Columnist © St. Petersburg Times published January 9, 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TAMPA -- After all of these years, fame has discovered Derrick Brooks. And darned if it doesn't have him confused with someone else. The NFL gave him an award Wednesday for being the best defensive player anyone had seen in 2002. The voters thought about the interceptions, the touchdowns, the big plays on Monday Night Football, and decided his time had come. Fair enough. But do they understand what he has meant to this franchise? "Our game is based on flash. On big plays, fumble recoveries, returns for touchdowns. Derrick was noticed this year because of those plays," general manager Rich McKay said. "But that shouldn't mark who or what he is. Derrick means so much more to us than a few big plays." Fox Sports gave him a truck Wednesday for being the toughest player anyone had seen in 2002. The network folks probably saw the open-field tackle of Marshall Faulk. Or maybe the way he chased down Michael Vick. They saw enough tape to decide he was the baddest cat in the crowd. That's great. But do they have any idea what he has meant to this community? "You want to know the best thing about Derrick?" linebackers coach Joe Barry asked. "Yes, he's a great player. Everyone knows that. But he's an even better person. That's what makes him special." Here's the problem with fame. It has no soul and little permanence. It rushes from one flavor to the next, with little regard for value or significance. Which suggests it has nothing in common with Brooks. There will be those who make a big deal about the Defensive Player of the Year award. They will refer to the legends who won it before. A Joe Greene, a Lawrence Taylor or a Mike Singletary. Today, they will say, Brooks belongs. That's fine. We should all be pleased now that some well-intentioned praise is being thrown in his direction. But understand, this award does not define his value. It merely reflects a small part of it. And folks around here should know better. After all, these are not the first national honors Brooks, 29, has been given. Two years ago, his considerable charitable works earned him the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award. It's okay if you missed it. Turns out it didn't make too many front pages. But it made a difference for the children in the Brooks Bunch, a group of inner-city kids from the Tampa and Orlando Boys and Girls Clubs. You see, they're big Derrick Brooks fans. Not because he buys them tickets for home games or buys them shoes at Christmas. No, these children have a personal interest in Brooks. That's the way it is among friends. And make no mistake, these children are his friends. He's not just around for photo ops and sound bites. He encourages them to work hard and behave in school and then rewards them with summer vacations. Last year, he took 27 children on a 12-day tour of the American West. They hit the Grand Canyon, the Hoover Dam and Alcatraz, among other stops. You know, just your typical NFL star on an exotic junket. Before that? Brooks took a group of children to Washington D.C. Another summer, they visited South Africa. Atlanta was a previous destination. Yes sir, there's the network's "Tough Guy." Oh, it's not that the awards were undeserved. They're just a little late in arriving. And maybe a little misguided. You want to know why Brooks was named Defensive Player of the Year? It was the last-minute interception while playing on one good leg in a Monday Night Football game. It was the four returns for touchdowns. That's what voters are looking for. Something dramatic. Something that fits neatly on a five-second highlight clip. Which is why Brooks has been ignored for so long. His role in the defense is not to rack up sacks or talk trash to the national media. He simply holds it all together. This is what the voters don't understand. That Brooks did not just show up suddenly. He has made an impact every year, every week, every possession. "A lot of teams have tried to emulate our defense the past few years," safety John Lynch said. "They've found out it isn't easy to do. You know why? Because they don't have Derrick Brooks covering the field from one side to the other. You don't just plug in a guy like that. He's a rare player." Brooks never has courted fame, and he seemed to do an uneasy dance with it on Wednesday. Notoriously humble, he was asked if he could now strut. If he could clear his throat and proclaim he was the NFL's best defensive player. "I could," Brooks smiled. "But that doesn't mean I will." So you want to know what makes Brooks worthy of our attention? Worthy of the accolades and worthy of the fame? It's not the tackles. The wicked hits. The interceptions or the touchdowns. It's not the leadership in the huddle. The commitment to the community. It's not the dignity and it's not the humility. It's all of that.