Ahmad Brooks
Encyclopedia
Ahmad Brooks is an American football
linebacker
for the San Francisco 49ers
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals
in the third round of the 2006 NFL Supplemental Draft. He played college football
at Virginia
.
He is the son of late NFL defensive tackle Perry Brooks
.
, which he helped lead to two VHSL state championships during his three-year tenure (1999–2001). Brooks battled injuries throughout his high school career, but he had a very productive year in 2001 - he had 207 tackles (144 solos), including 34 for loss, and he also rushed for 848 yards and 10 TDs while averaging 12.6 yards per carry. The semifinal loss to Thomas Dale High School
of Chester, VA in 2001 was the only Hylton loss in three years in which he played. He was named as USA Today’s National Defensive Player of the year after the 2001 season. He participated in the 2002 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
game. In 2002 he played at Hargrave Military Academy
in Chatham, Virginia
.
. He earned a starting position as a freshman and finished the year with a career-high and team-leading 117 tackles
. He also had four sacks
, six passes defensed, 10 tackles-for-loss and 15 QB pressures. He had a career-high 12 tackles vs. Pittsburgh
in the Continental Tire Bowl, including a key stop early in the contest to complete a goal-line stand.
During his sophomore year at the University of Virginia he was one of three Butkus Award finalists, which goes to the best linebacker in the country. He played in 12 games, earning All-America
honors after totaling a team-leading 90 tackles, with eight sacks, two INTs, 11 QB pressures and 10 tackles-for-loss. Earned Atlantic Coast Conference
Defensive Lineman of the Week honors for his performance against the Maryland Terrapins
.
He played in six games as a junior, with 27 tackles (10 solo), including one sack, plus four passes defensed and five QB pressures. He missed games 1-3 while rehabbing from knee surgery performed following his sophomore campaign. He missed other games due to various injuries throughout the 2005 season. He was involved in several off-field problems and was eventually dismissed from the team following the season.
(no statistics). As a rookie, he played in 11 contests (Games 3-9, 11-12, and 16), with starts at Middle Linebacker in Games 5-9. He had 46 tackles, with one sack, 2 passes defended, and one special teams tackle.
In the 2007 season opener on Monday Night Football
against the Baltimore Ravens
, Brooks was the starter. Brooks ended the game with six tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. In the first series of the game against the Cleveland Browns
in week 2, Brooks tore his groin muscle, which ended his season. He was placed on injured reserve
on November 7, 2007.
Brooks was waived by the Bengals on August 30, 2008 during final cuts.
to make room for Brooks. The 49ers waived Brooks on November 29 to make room for wide receiver
Chris Hannon
, but re-signed Brooks on December 2 after Hannon was waived.
On December 2, 2009, San Francisco 49ers head coach
Mike Singletary
mentioned that Brooks would be used increasingly during pass rushing situations. In week 14, Brooks recorded single-game career-highs of 3 sacks and 2 forced fumbles against the Arizona Cardinals
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
in the third round of the 2006 NFL Supplemental Draft. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Virginia
Virginia Cavaliers football
Virginia Cavaliers football is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I-FBS and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
.
He is the son of late NFL defensive tackle Perry Brooks
Perry Brooks
Perry Brooks was an American football defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Southern University and was drafted in the seventh round of the 1976 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He is the father of San Francisco 49ers...
.
Early years
Brooks attended C.D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge, VirginiaWoodbridge, Virginia
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 31,941 people, 10,687 households, and 7,769 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,047.8 people per square mile . There were 11,026 housing units at an average density of 1,052.1/sq mi...
, which he helped lead to two VHSL state championships during his three-year tenure (1999–2001). Brooks battled injuries throughout his high school career, but he had a very productive year in 2001 - he had 207 tackles (144 solos), including 34 for loss, and he also rushed for 848 yards and 10 TDs while averaging 12.6 yards per carry. The semifinal loss to Thomas Dale High School
Thomas Dale High School
Thomas Dale High School is a public school located in Chester, an unincorporated community in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States.It was named for Sir Thomas Dale, a 17th century leader in the Virginia Colony...
of Chester, VA in 2001 was the only Hylton loss in three years in which he played. He was named as USA Today’s National Defensive Player of the year after the 2001 season. He participated in the 2002 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
game. In 2002 he played at Hargrave Military Academy
Hargrave Military Academy
Hargrave Military Academy is a private American boarding school located in the town of Chatham, Virginia.Hargrave is a school affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia emphasizing Christian values that focuses on a college and military preparatory program...
in Chatham, Virginia
Chatham, Virginia
Chatham is a town in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, United States. Chatham's population was 1,338 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Danville, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. Chatham is home to Chatham High School and Hargrave Military Academy. It is also home to Chatham Hall , an...
.
College career
Following high school, Brooks spent one year at a military post-graduate school before enrolling at Virginia in the fall of 2003, where he majored in SociologySociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
. He earned a starting position as a freshman and finished the year with a career-high and team-leading 117 tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
. He also had four sacks
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
, six passes defensed, 10 tackles-for-loss and 15 QB pressures. He had a career-high 12 tackles vs. Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
in the Continental Tire Bowl, including a key stop early in the contest to complete a goal-line stand.
During his sophomore year at the University of Virginia he was one of three Butkus Award finalists, which goes to the best linebacker in the country. He played in 12 games, earning All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
honors after totaling a team-leading 90 tackles, with eight sacks, two INTs, 11 QB pressures and 10 tackles-for-loss. Earned Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
Defensive Lineman of the Week honors for his performance against the Maryland Terrapins
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
.
He played in six games as a junior, with 27 tackles (10 solo), including one sack, plus four passes defensed and five QB pressures. He missed games 1-3 while rehabbing from knee surgery performed following his sophomore campaign. He missed other games due to various injuries throughout the 2005 season. He was involved in several off-field problems and was eventually dismissed from the team following the season.
Cincinnati Bengals
Brooks entered the NFL Supplemental Draft following his junior season at Virginia and was selected by the Bengals in the third round on July 13, 2006. He made his NFL debut September 24 at PittsburghPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
(no statistics). As a rookie, he played in 11 contests (Games 3-9, 11-12, and 16), with starts at Middle Linebacker in Games 5-9. He had 46 tackles, with one sack, 2 passes defended, and one special teams tackle.
In the 2007 season opener on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
against the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, Brooks was the starter. Brooks ended the game with six tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. In the first series of the game against the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in week 2, Brooks tore his groin muscle, which ended his season. He was placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
on November 7, 2007.
Brooks was waived by the Bengals on August 30, 2008 during final cuts.
San Francisco 49ers
On August 31, 2008, Brooks was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco 49ers. The team released linebacker Dontarrious ThomasDontarrious Thomas
Dontarrious Dewayne Thomas is an American football linebacker for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
to make room for Brooks. The 49ers waived Brooks on November 29 to make room for wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Chris Hannon
Chris Hannon
Christopher Lee Hannon is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
, but re-signed Brooks on December 2 after Hannon was waived.
On December 2, 2009, San Francisco 49ers head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Mike Singletary
Mike Singletary
Michael "Mike" Singletary is an American football coach and former professional football player. He is currently the linebacker coach and assistant head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL....
mentioned that Brooks would be used increasingly during pass rushing situations. In week 14, Brooks recorded single-game career-highs of 3 sacks and 2 forced fumbles against the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.