TAMPA, Fla. — Wearing the iconic sport coat he received when he was elected into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2014, Derrick Brooks spoke to Tennessee’s football team on Tuesday morning.
The Volunteers then practiced at the University of Tampa for Friday’s Outback Bowl against Northwestern.
Brooks starred for the Tampa Bay Bucs for 14 seasons, played in 11 Pro Bowls and earned nine All-Pro nods during his career, the highlight of which was the Super Bowl win in 2003.
“I thought he made, and I know he made a lasting impression on a number of our players and our coaches,” Vols head coach Butch Jones said during a press conference early Tuesday afternoon.
“His values for what he stands for, his character, his work ethic — you’re talking about one of the greatest players to ever play the game. He just talked about the importance of team and really life lessons. This is one of the opportunities, again, being in postseason play, that it’s more than football.
“It’s preparing your young men for life, life after football.”
Brooks’s No. 55 is retired at Raymond James Stadium, where the Vols and Wildcats will square off on Friday, and he was the 2002 NFL defensive player of the year and won the Walter Payton man of the year award in 2000.
He snapped pictures with each of Tennessee’s linebackers after meeting with the team.
Redshirt freshman Dillon Bates posted on his Twitter account: “Great to meet one of the best linebackers to ever play the game @DBrooks55 Thank you for speaking to the team.”
“No matter what it is, whether it’s football, the business world or what have you, special people have a different edge to themselves,” Jones said.
“They have a little something special about them, and that he could pour some of that out on our football team was very, very special for us.”
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.