Aaron Brooks (American football)

Infobox NFLretired
name=Aaron Brooks
position=Quarterback
number=2
birthdate=birth date and age|1976|3|24
Newport News, Virginia
deathdate=
debutyear=1999
finalyear=2006
draftyear=1999
draftround=4
draftpick=131
college=Virginia
teams=
* Green Bay Packers (1999) *
* New Orleans Saints (2000-2005)
* Oakland Raiders (2006):*Inactive and/or practice squad member only
stat1label=TD-INT
stat1value=123-92
stat2label=Yards
stat2value=20,261
stat3label=QB Rating
stat3value=78.5
nfl=BRO114367

Aaron Lafette Brooks (born March 24, 1976 in Newport News, Virginia) is a land developer and former American football quarterback.

A graduate of Newport News Public Schools where he was a standout in high school football, Brooks attended the University of Virginia on scholarship, where he was a record-setting quarterback. After graduating in 1998, he was drafted by the National Football League in 1999. He played for the Green Bay Packers for the 1999 season, the New Orleans Saints for six years (2000-2005), and later joined the Oakland Raiders for his final season (2006).

In his career as a land developer, in 2008 he announced projects to build an upscale subdivision near Williamsburg, Virginia and lead a multiuse residential project in the economically depressed East End area of Newport News, where he and his younger cousins, Michael Vick and Marcus Vick grew up. In announcing his Southeast Commerce Center project, Brooks was quoted in the Newport News "Daily Press": "It's a great opportunity to give back to the community."

Early life

Aaron Brooks grew up in Newport News, Virginia. He has written about surviving through the benefits of food stamps and free school lunches, and growing up on public assistance as the youngest of three children. His book "Aaron Brooks: Rise Above" is aimed for youth ages 7-12. [ http://www.virginia.edu/topnews/releases2005/nfl-july-13-2005.html ]

Aaron, and his cousin Michael Vick, who lived in a public housing project in the East End area of Newport News, and was 4 years younger, rarely spent time together.Fact|date=March 2008 Mentored by Coach Tommy Reamon,Fact|date=March 2008 Brooks played high school football and graduated from Homer L. Ferguson High School in Newport News. He was awarded a scholarship to attend the University of Virginia (UVA), from which he was graduated in 1998.

College career

Brooks enrolled at the University of Virginia in the fall of 1994 and was a redshirt as a true freshman. He was a back up to Mike Groh in 1995. He competed with fifth year senior Tim Sherman, whose father Tom was wide receivers coach, [ https://admin.xosn.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17800&ATCLID=1157701 ] for the starting quarterback job in 1996. The Cavaliers were returning defensive players such as Jamie Sharper, James Farrior, Ronde Barber. The offense was led by running back Tiki Barber. The coaching staff made Sherman, who had played well against Michigan and Virginia Tech in 1995 after starter Mike Groh went down to injury, the primary quarterback instead of the inexperienced Brooks. Nonetheless, Brooks received playing time in nearly all games and was the primary quarterback in a few. Inconsistent quarterback play by both Brooks and Sherman led to an underachieving season, and Virginia fans to this day still debate the quarterback play of the 1996 season [ http://www.electric-mayhem.net/Sports/1996ShermanvsBrooks.html ]

Brooks was the starter in 1997. Both Brooks and the team struggled in the early part of the season but surged late to finish 7-4. The Cavaliers, however, were not invited to a bowl game. In 1998, the team got off to a strong start and was briefly in the top ten. The highlight of the year, and Brooks' career, was the season finale at Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers were down 29-7 at halftime, but Brooks led the biggest comeback in school history in the 36-32 victory. The final regular season record was 9-2. The Cavaliers lost 35-33 to Georgia at the Peach Bowl.

NFL career

In New Orleans, Brooks became one of the NFL's leaders in game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime with 16 (behind only Tom Brady), including five in 2004. Brooks took over as the starter in 2000 in relief of the injured Jeff Blake in Week 11 (vs. Oakland), he started the following week and took every starting snap until the last month of the 2005 season, when he was benched. Brooks played in 72 regular-season games with the Saints, including starting the last 69 contests. His 441 passing yards vs. Denver was the highest single-game total in franchise history until Drew Brees surpassed it while throwing for 510 yards on November 19, 2006. Brooks also has the distinction of being the only Saints quarterback to rush for over 100 yards in a contest (108 vs. San Francisco). In 2004, Brooks set club marks for attempts (60) and completions (34) in a contest.

1999

In 1999, Brooks began his career as a third-string backup to Brett Favre behind second-string quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, taking no snaps during the regular season.

2000

For Brooks, the high point in his career with the Saints came very early. Brooks led the turnaround of the Saints in the 2000 season, his first with the franchise. In the Saints' previous season, they were 3-13. In 2000, the Saints not only made the playoffs with a 10-6 record, but defeated the defending Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams, 31-28. Brooks threw four touchdown passes in the game. The Saints then went on to lose to the Minnesota Vikings in their final playoff game of that season, 16-34. Overall, he would throw nine touchdowns and six interceptions to a 85.7 Quarterback Rating in eight games and five starts in the regular season.

2001

In 2001, the Saints only went 7-9, ending in a four game losing streak. In these last four games of the season with Brooks at the helm, the Saints would be outscored by more than 100 points, 160-52. Although Brooks did manage to throw a franchise record tying 26 touchdowns and an overall career best 3,832 passing yards in his first full season as a starting quarterback, his consistency became questioned as he also threw a still standing franchise record 22 interceptions.

2002

In 2002, Deuce McAllister replaced Ricky Williams, and the running game improved. Brooks helped lead the Saints to a 6-2 record and guided an offense that averaged 32 points a game through the first half of the season before the team imploded in the second half. The Saints proceeded to go to a pedestrian 3-5 to finish the season. During that stretch, at 9-4, their last three games were against the Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals, and Carolina Panthers, all long since eliminated from playoff contention. With only one victory out of those three games required to reach the postseason, the Saints gave up a touchdown and two point conversion to lose at home to Minnesota, couldn't stop the 1-13 Bengals' running game led by fullback Nick Luchey, and lost against Carolina, by only scoring two field goals at home in a 10-6 loss. Brooks was berated by the sellout crowd in the Louisiana Superdome that day, as they chanted "We Want Jake" (in reference to backup QB Jake Delhomme) and also booed him during pre game introductions as the Saints fans became the 12th man on the Panthers' defense. To add salt to the wound, Delhomme signed with the Panthers in the offseason and led the team to the Super Bowl, coming up short to the New England Patriots. Fans will note that Brooks was injured during the Baltimore win, in which Delhomme finished the game. The week before, Brooks was also injured during the Tampa Bay game in the dome. Delhomme came in very near the end. And connected with Joe Horn for a first down to preserve the victory, sweeping the season with the Bucs and in full control of the NFC South. Both Brooks and the coaching staff were reluctant to replace Brooks, who was obviously hurting. To the dismay of fans the team announced during the off-season that Brooks would indeed need shoulder surgery. His passing was eractic and sluggish. On fourth down during the last play of the Cincinnati loss, Brooks threw an errant pass out of bounds to avoid an interception. Not all was terrible for Brooks, as he himself threw for a franchise record 27 touchdowns, superseding his previous career high of 26 just the year before.

2003

2003 was statistically Brooks' most efficient year as a passer, as he compiled an 88.8 Quarterback Rating, a 3:1 touchdown to interception ratio (24 touchdowns and eight interceptions), and a 59.1 percent completion percentage, all career bests. 2003 was also the year that Brooks threw the famous "cell phone" touchdown to Joe Horn in which Horn put a cell phone under the goal post. Horn earned a $30,000 fine for his antics. However, things only got worse for Brooks and the Saints the following week after a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. A close game came down to the Saints executing a 5 lateral play started by a Brooks pass, dubbed the "River City Relay." The joy was short lived however, as kicker John Carney missed the subsequent extra point that would have sent the game into overtime. (However, the wild card team that had to lose for the Saints to win and get in won, so it was moot regardless), and another Saints season had ended without a playoff appearance.

2004

In 2004, after a 4-8 start, Brooks led the Saints on a four game winning streak to finish the season, reaching the brink of the playoffs, but tiebreakers involving the St. Louis Rams and the Minnesota Vikings doing the Saints in. Brooks, though, was key to two of their victories in the four game winning streak, converting a key 4th and 12 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers through a 13 yard scramble to keep the game winning touchdown drive alive, and also by posting a 102.1 Quarterback Rating and no interceptions against the Carolina Panthers at the end of the season. Overall as a passer, Brooks regressed, as he threw for twice as many interceptions as the year before with 16. This would also be the final year Brooks would throw for more than 3,000 yards, at 3,810.

2005

On December 13, 2005, after a loss on national television to the Falcons, the Saints benched Brooks and announced Todd Bouman as the team's starter for the last three games of the season. It was truly an abysmal year for the quarterback as he threw for more interceptions, 17, as he did touchdowns, 13, for the first time in his career. This year ended Brooks' career as a starter for the Saints.

2006

After being released by the Saints, Brooks was signed by the Oakland Raiders on March 22, 2006. He was the starter going into training camp. In his first regular season game as a Raider, he was sacked 9 times by the San Diego Chargers in a 27-0 loss. Brooks dislocated his shoulder in his second game against the Baltimore Ravens and missed the next several weeks. Second-year quarterback Andrew Walter started the next seven games for Oakland. After a 2-5 record over that span, a healthy Brooks was placed back into the starter's role. Despite slightly improved play, Brooks was unable to lead the defensive Raiders to very much success finishing with a league worst 2-14 record. Brooks also went on to have a career low 61.7 quarterback rating, and again threw more interceptions, eight, than touchdowns, three.

2007

On February 22, 2007 Brooks was released by the Raiders, when they did not pick up his option.

On August 3, 2007, Brooks had a workout with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but was not picked up.Fact|date=March 2008

On November 13, 2007 Brooks tried a workout with the Green Bay Packers under former Saints offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy.Fact|date=March 2008

Non-football career

In his retirement from pro-football, Brooks announced plans to be a land developer.

In the summer of 2008, work began on his first project to be underway, Burlington Woods, an upscale subdivision located on 17 acres in James City County, Virginia. Burlington Woods will consist of 26 lots that will be of one-quarter to one-third of an acre. The four to five bedroom homes are expected to be from 2,000 to 4,500 square feet in size. Brooks said he will oversee the project through its completion, but Ryan Homes will take over the construction phase once the individual lots are prepped. [ http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/williamsburg/dp-local_brooks_0902sep02,0,1474320.story ]

Earlier in 2008, he announced plans to invest in Southeast Commerce Center, a redevelopment project his hometown of Newport News. In a story published in the New Orleans "Times-Picayune" newspaper in July 2008, he said there are plans in store for him and some partners to redevelop part of downtown Newport News, a city that shares many of the same social problems that plague New Orleans. [ http://blog.nola.com/saintsbeat/2008/07/aaron_brooks_a_castaway_qb.html ] The multimillion-dollar investment will be a mixed-use development between Jefferson and Terminal avenues and 33rd and 29th streets in the economically depressed East End area. [ http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/newport_news/dp-local_framework_0808aug08,0,6940296.story ] The project is planned to be a mixed-use residential community with 190 town houses, a grocery store and retail offerings. [ http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/williamsburg/dp-local_brooks_0902sep02,0,1474320.story ] Vice Mayor Charles Allen, who has represented the district for 16 years on the Newport News City Council, stated to the Newport News "Daily Press" that it was "significant that one of our own has taken his resources and other resources to show us that we can do it. It's a good day. It's a good day for our community." [ http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-local_nnbrooks_0423apr23,0,1799405.story ]

Brooks commented to the "Daily Press": "It's a great opportunity to give back to the community and at the same time let retailers know we don't just have the stigma of being 'bad news,' ... a lot of hard-working, middle-class people that live in the area. I'm just trying to make the area better for them." [ http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/williamsburg/dp-local_brooks_0902sep02,0,1474320.story ]

References

External links

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* [http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BROOKAAR01 More Career Stats]