Michael Brooks

Sport: Football

Induction Year: 2009

University: LSU

Induction Year: 2009

A Ruston native who was All-America as a junior at LSU, hard-hitting Michael Brooks reached the Pro Bowl in 1992 for the Denver Broncos to highlight 10 NFL seasons (1987-92 in Denver, 1993-95 with the New York Giants, 1996 with Detroit). After earning AP and Scripps-Howard News Service All-America honors as a junior for LSU, an injury curtailed his bid to become one of the few two-time All-Americas in LSU history. He was All-Southeastern Conference in 1985 (AP, UPI and SEC Coaches). After serving as team co-captain as a senior, Brooks was a third-round NFL Draft pick who starred at linebacker while playing 138 career games with 4 interceptions and 9 fumble recoveries. Recruited out of a hallway at Ruston High in his freshman year by Hall of Fame coach Chick Childress, Brooks was a two-time Class 4A (at the time the state’s largest classification) All-State pick and a three-year all-district selection. He posted 97 tackles as a junior, 104 as a senior and added two pass interceptions, three aerial deflections as a junior, along with three pass interceptions and four deflects as a senior when Brooks helped lead Ruston to the 1982 state title. He made a hit that broke a flak jacket worn by future Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame QB Stan Humphries in a Ruston-Southwood HS game.