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Brooks Moves Forward With Three Ps - Prayer, Perspective And Purpose

Posted Feb 27, 2009 by Anwar S. Richardson

Updated Feb 27, 2009 at 11:12 AM

Here are some highlights from former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks’ press conference on Friday:

Q: What’s next for you?
A: We’re going to look at all options. I think that’s the beauty of who God made me. I live every day to its fullest and my single-minded approach was always to prepare yourself for a day without football; whether it’ll be decisions like this or injury, I’ve well rounded myself to go in a number of directions and now, I’ll just step back and look at it - football being one of it, but there’s other things, too.

Q: Will you still maintain you connections in Tampa?
A: I’m always here. You never leave the relationships. That’s why I say my approach as a human being is always about relationships first. Those never leave and they’ll always be here if that decision is made to play elsewhere. The things that are set in place here that God has allowed has nothing to do with football. That’s why I said it’ll always be here and Tampa will always be my home.

Q: Do you still have a burning desire to play this game?
A: Again, at this time of the year I’m always fueling the tank back up to go, so my body is in that mood. Again, until something happens and I decide that’s not what I want to do then that’s what I will prepare myself to do. As I prepare, if those options start to look more like a reality, then I’ll pursue them. If not, then I won’t.

Q: Do you feel your passion has diminished?
A: I always seek prayer and counsel. I figure the Lord will make it possible. Some of these decisions in the next time going forward will play themselves out one way or another.

Q: When you talked with Jim Bates [defensive coordinator], did you think your role might be different?
A: I met with them to go over terminology and defensive schemes. My meeting with them last week and Joe Barry was all about preparation for this season. Obviously, a lot of things were changing and I wanted to get a jump on everything we were changing so I could be better prepared to deal with the players when they came back. I was getting a lot of calls from players wondering what we were going to do, how we were going to do it and I could answer those questions. I started my preparation in that aspect earlier to get to know Coach Bates and our defensive scheme. That’s what those meetings were all about. As I said to couple of these guys, the news was shocking.

Q: How should other players on this team step up to replace your leadership?
A: I would suggest that no one try to be me. Because I didn’t try to be anyone else but myself. I think the leadership has to come naturally. As situations occur, people will take on roles and it will kind of hopefully evolutionize itself,. But to designate a guy, that’s to much pressure. You just can’t do it. God made only one of me. As he made only one of Hardy Nickerson, Lonnie Marts, so I didn’t’ try to be those guys. I didn’t try to be Warren [Sapp], I didn’t try to be John [Lynch], I was just who I am. Over time. The situation kind of took itself for me to be the leader. There’s a lot of young guys in there, and I don’t know where it’s going to come from. I just really hope no one tries to step up and make themselves be that guy. Kind of let it come to them as situations happen.

Q: What lesson can kids who look up to you learn from this?
A: I always tell them that God put me in this position for a reason. And again, I’m going to be a leader in this situation just like I am in all my challenges. I look at it with the three Ps – prayer, perspective and purpose. That’s how I look at this situation and see where God takes me next. But it’s going to be up here because I see a bigger situation than myself, and people outside of this sports arena and the struggles that some of my fellow citizens are going through, I want to be someone they can look to and say Look at him and how Derrick carries himself and give me motivation to keep on going and keep on moving forward.

Reader Comments

Por (Alan Kapell) on February 27, 2009 (Suggest removal)

Bucs/Glazers did not handle situation with D Brooks 100% correctly. I hope he retires as a Buc. He left his “foot print” @ Raymond James Stadium. Will be elected to Hall Fame on first ballot. I assume that he does not need the money. Bucs will have a tribute to D Brooks during the season @ home game. Glazers will not spend entire $ 61 million that Bucs are under the cap. It’s always about the ($) money…..........

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Por (chuck king) on February 27, 2009 (Suggest removal)

Derrick is a class act from the word go. But we smelt this one coming. Monte knew what was in store for his Bucs. He didn’t want to be around when they pulled the trigger on his “D”. The longer we sit back, the more money the Glazers will have for Manchester United. We are now around 50 Mil under the cap and the current guys we want to resign are only worth a fraction of that. If we take a receiver in the draft we have to develop him, same with QB. The Ryan’s and Flacco’s are too far and between. I hope they unvail some plan that makes us all sit up and say; Wow we were wrong but for now - this thing stinks of a damp cellar in the NFC South.

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