Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks is trading out his Florida Seminoles gear and embracing being a University of South Florida Bull.
The former Tampa Bay Bucs linebacker will now be USF Athletics' Chief Operating Officer. He joins the department's senior leadership team effective immediately.
According to USF, he'll have multiple responsibilities ranging from sports tourism strategy, enhancing student-athlete experiences, Team Tampa Bay/local pro franchise relations and more.
USF Athletics Chief Financial Officer Rob Higgins said Brooks has been a pillar of "Team Tampa Bay" for the last 30 years and leader in the state for his entire life.
"We have been fortunate to work with Derrick many times over the last two decades, including bringing the Super Bowl to Tampa and hosting that event," Higgins said. "We could not be more excited to welcome his passion, energy and expertise at USF Athletics as our new COO. He's the ultimate role model for our student-athletes.
No. 1 Bucs player
Brooks' career with the Bucs started in 1995 when Tampa Bay selected him with the 28th overall pick in the NFL draft. He was with the Bucs until 2009, helping lead them to the Super Bowl XXXVII championship and is widely regarded as one of the greatest linebackers in NFL history, according to a release. In addition, he was recently voted as the No. 1 Bucs player in franchise history.
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During this 14-year career, he earned 11 Pro Bowl selections, and nine All-Pro honors. He was also named the 2002 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Brooks was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016. According to a release, he was also selected to the NFL's 2000s All-Decade Team and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. His No. 55 jersey has been retired, and he's in the Bucs' Ring of Honor.
"A model of consistency, he never missed a game and anchored one of the league's top defenses for a decade," a USF release wrote.
Prior to the Bucs, he was a standout at Florida State University, where he was a four-year letterman and three-time All-American. He earned ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1993. He also helped lead the Seminoles to a national championship.
A Florida leader
Besides his Hall of Fame and Super Bowl-winning career, he brings over 15 years of experience as a "key front office executive" in professional sports. For example, he has served as executive vice president of corporate and community development at Vinik Sports Group since 2017.
He is also the president and founder of Derrick Brooks Charities and the co-founder of Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School. He serves on numerous boards, including Kforce, the Florida Department of Education Foundation and the Florida State Authority. He has also served on the Florida State University Board of Trustees, Saint Leo University and the Florida Governor's Council on Physical Fitness.
He also continues to serve the sport of football as an on-field appeals officer for the NFL and previously worked as an ESPN NFL analyst from 2009 to 2011. From 2006 to 2012, he was managing member of Brooks 55 Labor Enterprises L.L.C — a staffing and workforce solutions company.
Brooks and his wife Carol have four children and his daughter DsNia is a junior infielder on the USF softball team. So, although he might have his college memories at Florida State, Brooks said that USF has held a special place in his family's hearts for a while now.
"There's no better time to be Bull," Brooks said. "I cannot think of a university or an athletics department with brighter futures than ours, and I am ready to get to work and excited to join Rob, his staff, and the tremendous student-athletes and coaches who make USF Athletics a one-of-one college athletic department. As Rob likes to say: 'All Gas. No Brakes. No Regrets. No Excuses.' And I'll just add: Go Bulls!"