Tennessee safety Will Brooks attended the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ rookie minicamp on a tryout basis in May. Three months later, the former Vestavia Hills High School standout has joined the NFL team.
The Buccaneers announced on Monday that they had signed Brooks. Brooks filled the roster spot vacated by rookie safety J.J. Roberts, who went on injured reserve with a season-ending knee injury sustained last week in a joint practice with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
At Vestavia Hills, Brooks was an honorable-mention All-State selection in 2018 and a second-team pick in 2019. Brooks also was a lacrosse standout for the Rebels.
Brooks walked on at Tennessee in 2020, and he made his first start in the 2023 regular-season finale. Brooks started every game in 2024, finished second on the Volunteers with 59 tackles and made four interceptions, including one in Tennessee’s 42-17 loss to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff on Dec. 21.
Brooks signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted rookie on May 5, but he was waived two days later.
Tampa Bay has one preseason game remaining against the Buffalo Bills at 6:30 p.m. CDT Saturday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, before the Bucs’ regular-season schedule kicks off against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 7.
Another former Alabama high school standout lost his NFL roster spot on Monday as the Pittsburgh Steelers announced wide receiver Roc Taylor had been waived.
Taylor was an All-State selection for Oxford’s AHSAA Class 6A championship team in 2019. He also made All-State in 2018.
Taylor joined the Steelers as an undrafted rookie in May after he had 163 receptions for 2,375 yards and seven touchdowns during his college career at Memphis.
In two preseason games with Pittsburgh, Taylor had five receptions for 77 yards.
On Monday, the Steelers waived Taylor, defensive lineman Breiden Fehoko and linebacker Devin Harper and signed defensive back Kam Alexander, long snapper Jake McQuaide and offensive tackle Julian Pearl.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at@AMarkG1.
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