Robert Brooks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the football player. For others with the same name, see Robert Brooks (disambiguation).

Robert Brooks
Date of birth	June 23, 1970
Place of birth	Greenwood, SC
Position(s)	WR
College	University of South Carolina
NFL Draft	1992 / Round 3 / 62nd Overall
Honors	NFL Comeback Player of the Year,1997
Records	Longest pass reception in NFL history, 99 yards
Statistics	DatabaseFootball
Team(s)
1992-1998 2000	Green Bay Packers Denver Broncos

Robert Brooks (born June 23, 1970 in Greenwood, SC) is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Green Bay Packers (1992-1998) and the Denver Broncos (2000). He played collegiately for the University of South Carolina (1988-1991). A fan favorite, Brooks was known for his fluid running and sure hands. He led the NFL in kickoff returns in 1993 with a 26.6-yard average. He came into his own in 1995, following a career-ending injury to teammate Sterling Sharpe. That year, he led the Packers with 102 receptions and 13 touchdowns, while racking up 1,497 receiving yards, a franchise record [1].

Brooks suffered a horrific knee injury in game 7 of the 1996 season against the San Francisco 49ers. Niners cornerback Tyronne Drakeford pulled Brooks to the turf while he was blocking downfield. Brooks suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a torn patellar tendon on the play. He missed the remainder of the season, and was unable to play in Super Bowl XXXI. The Packers beat the New England Patriots 35-21. Brooks vowed to return the next season, and in 1997 he won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award, catching 60 passes for 1,010 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Brooks developed back problems as he was forced to change his running mechanics. He suffered through a painful season in 1998, and briefly retired before attempting a comeback with the Broncos in 2000. Following the season, in which he appeared in only a handful of games, Brooks again retired from the NFL.