Who says dinosaurs are extinct? Here's what you need to know about throwback linebacker Keith Brooking: he worships Butkus, says he'd play for free, and doesn't take a single aspect of the game for granted

WITH THE UNPRECEDENTED speed and athleticism he's brought to the quarterback position, Michael Vick plays like he jumped off of some futuristic football field and into the NFL.

Keith Brooking, Vick's teammate on the Atlanta Falcons, also plays like he belongs in a different era. But it's a period that's better suited for the Flintstones than the Jetsons, when dinosaurs such as Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke ruled the playing fields. Brooking, who's made two straight Pro Bowl appearances since switching from weakside linebacker to the middle in 2001, is the quintessential throwback player.

"Obviously, we get paid a lot of money for doing this, and that's a very good thing," Brooking says. "But I can say with all my heart that I'd play for free. I love to play football. It's a lot of fun, and just the competitiveness of it--it's a great game. I love it very much. If people want to characterize me as [a throwback] player, then that's great. I look at it as a very positive thing."

The same can be said about a memorable 2002 season in Atlanta. Brooking, who played right inside linebacker as the Falcons switched from a 4-3 to a 34 defense this season, helped fuel a major resurgence. Atlanta improved from 7-9 in 2001 to 9-6-1 and registered an historic playoff victory in one of the most hallowed stadiums in the league, Lambeau Field. The Falcons dealt the Green Bay Packers their first postseason loss ever at Lambeau, breaking a winning streak that had spanned 11 games.

Brooking, a First Team inside linebacker on FOOTBALL DIGESt's 2002 All-Pro Team, led Atlanta with 140 tackles, 76 more than runner-up Chris Draft. The 6'2", 245-pounder from Georgia Tech also had two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble, and was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week following a November victory over the New Orleans Saints.

"His motor never stops," says Falcons outside linebacker John Thierry. "He's got great instincts as a linebacker, and he's physical. He runs fast, he's big and strong, and he knows the game. He understands the scheme and is just having fun out there."

Born on October 30, 1975, in Senoia, Ga., Keith Howard Brooking played virtually every snap at East Cowetta High School. He then moved on to Georgia Tech, where he became the leading tackler in school history with 467 stops. In his final season, he was a finalist for the Butkus Award, honoring the nation's most outstanding linebacker.

Brooking was elated when the hometown Falcons selected him with the 12th pick overall in the 1998 draft. He fully realizes how rare it is to play high school, college, and pro ball in the same city. His fan base is anchored, of course, by his mother, Brenda Hembree; his father, Harvey Brooking, who often travels to road games to watch his son play; and three siblings.

"That's awesome," Brooking says of playing in his hometown. "I realize how lucky I am, and hopefully I can continue to do that. I want to continue to be here, close to my family. They're really important to me. I'm very close to them. It's meant a great deal to me. It's hard for me to put in words, but I thank my blessings every day for that."

Those are more than just words--Brooking really is appreciative of everything life has given him. He is one of the league's good guys, generously donating his time and money to a variety of local causes. He has collected food, served as a celebrity chef, and been filmed in public service announcements for the Atlanta Community Food Bank. He also participates in the Falcons' Ball Boy Mentoring Program, for which players serve as mentors to boys from a local Boys and Girls Club. In November 2001, Brooking invited the kids and his teammates into his home, where they spoke about the importance of the holidays.

Brooking was the Falcons' finalist for the 2002 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, the only league award that recognizes off-the-field community service as well as playing excellence. In 2001, Brooking won the NFL's Extra Effort Award for the month of November.

"When you're fortunate enough to play in the NFL, you're put in a position where you can be a very positive influence to a lot of people, especially a lot of young kids and a lot of people out in the community," Brooking says. "And I believe that you should definitely take advantage of that as a professional athlete.

"Some guys say they're not role models, but I really believe that you've got to carry yourself that way. I'm going to continue to do work in the community as long as I'm in this league. I think that it's something that each and every player in the National Football League should take advantage of and do. It's part of it."

On the field, Brooking has flourished since moving to his natural position in the middle. He played in the nickel defense as a rookie and started at weakside linebacker in 1999 and 2000. Then longtime middle linebacker Jessie Tuggle retired, and Brooking replaced him at that spot. In 2001 he started all 16 games for the first time in his career, registering a personal-high and team-leading 167 tackles, the most by a Falcons player since Tuggle had 184 in 1996.

"I love being right there in the middle, in the thick of things," Brooking says. "You've got a lot of people on you and trying to hit you, but it puts me in a position to be able to run sideline to sideline and utilize my speed, which is one of my strengths, and make plays all over the field. That's the best thing about it."

Much of Atlanta's defensive success this season was due to coordinator Wade Phillips, who was hired following a 2001 season in which the Falcons ranked 30th out of 31 teams in total yards allowed. The revamped unit finished eighth in the league this season in points allowed.

With players like Brooking, end Patrick Kerney, and cornerbacks Ray Buchanan and Ashley Ambrose, the potential had been there for the defense to excel. It simply needed a leader like Phillips. "We have a great coaching staff, and we've bought into the system they're teaching us," Brooking says. "We all believe in it. Ninety percent of football is the belief you can get the job done."

No one received more recognition for the improvement of the defense than Brooking, who was the unit's sole representative at the Pro Bowl. "It means a great deal," Brooking says of being named to the Pro Bowl. "It's one of my goals going into every season. It's not a priority, but I will tell you that I want to achieve that each and every year.

"It's been a very good year for me, just the combination of going to the Pro Bowl, staying healthy because that's a big reason for me being there, and then us going to the playoffs. It's been very good."

Brooking is constantly working to improve his game. For instance, he makes a habit of analyzing the play of fellow middle linebackers Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis, who are considered the gold standards at the position. "I watch those guys on film," Brooking says. "Brian and I are good friends. I look at his strengths, I see his weaknesses, and I definitely compare myself to all the good linebackers in this league. I definitely look out for those guys and watch them on film and see how they're playing."

There is one linebacker in particular whom Brooking loves to watch on tape: Butkus. Brooking owns a 180-pound mastiff dog named Butkus and is the proud possessor of an issue of Sports Illustrated from 1970 that features the blood-and-guts linebacker on the cover.

"Butkus played the game the way it's supposed to be played," Brooking says. "He never took the game for granted. He never took a snap off, and he played with everything he had. Every gift that God had ever given him, he tried to utilize that and use it to the best of his ability. I respected that about him more than anything.

"He played before I was even born, but I read up on him, collect all kinds of stuff on him, and watch videos. The guy played with blown-out knees, broken arms. He did it the right way."

They're already saying the same thing about Brooking.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Century Publishing
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group