Happy Birthday! 10 Things You Should Know About Derrick Brooks

Sep 14, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Derrick Brooks is inducted into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ring of honor during halftime against the St. Louis Rams at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

He Still Occasionally Thinks About Not Being Able to Properly Pass Down Leadership Torch

In the 2008 draft, Derrick Brooks begged the Bucs to draft Florida State Seminoles’ Geno Hayes. Brooks was looking for his heir apparent to the face of the franchise. He felt like a combination of the young outside linebacker Hayes, at 6-foot-1 and 226-pounds, and Ronde Barber could fit the bill. Unfortunately, they just played one season together and Brooks got cut in 2009. The following season, Hayes replaced Brooks on the starting depth chart.