Professional career Keith Brooking

1 professional career

1.1 atlanta falcons
1.2 dallas cowboys
1.3 denver broncos
1.4 nfl statistics

professional career
atlanta falcons

after being 12th overall selection falcons in 1998 nfl draft, brooking became foundation of defense. in rookie season, played in 15 games , posted 32 tackles, 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles, , 5 passes defensed served team nickel linebacker in passing situations throughout season. recorded 8 tackles in nfc championship game vs minnesota vikings, when falcons reached super bowl xxxiii, atlanta fell broncos 34-19. after season, in 1999, started 13 games, finished 95 tackles (4th in team), , added 2 sacks , 2 passes defended. first career start against vikings, recording 8 tackles, , first career sack against baltimore, sacking stoney case.

during 2000 season, brooking placed in injury reserve after suffering sprained foot in game vs philadelphia. finished 39 tackles, 1 sack , 1 forced fumble. in 2001, started games , did not miss play on defense in 957 total snaps made transition middle linebacker, registered 15 tackles , sack in first game middle linebacker. led falcons 167 tackles , registered 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 9 passes defended , 3.5 sacks. named defensive player of week first time in career @ new orleans (october 21) after recording 12 tackles, 1 sack , 2 passes defensed, had key interception vs. dallas cowboys seal 20–13 win 0:16 remaining on atlanta 30-yard line. season named pro bowl, becoming first falcon pro bowler since 1998, when 6 falcons made trip hawaii. in 2002, brooking became fifth falcons player total 200 tackles in season, following tommy nobis (296 in 1966), fulton kuykendall (284 in 1978), buddy curry (229 in 1983) , jessie tuggle (201 in 1990, 207 in 1991).

he established new career-high 22 tackles vs green bay packers. 22 tackles falcons player since jessie tuggle had 22 vs. new orleans on september 29, 1991, named nfc defensive player of week efforts vs. new orleans saints (september 17) when collected 15 stops , 1 fumble recovery. blocked first career blocked field goal against vikings veteran kicker gary anderson. earned second straight pro bowl after leading team career-high 212 tackles, added 2 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries , 1 forced fumble. in 2003, named third consecutive pro bowl after registering team-high 207 total tackles , career-high 130 solo stops in 16 starts , posting 2 fumble recoveries. during season, brooking posted season high 18 tackles @ new orleans, second highest total since recorded 22 stops @ green bay ( 9/8/2002 ). registered 17 tackles apiece vs. new york giants, @ tampa bay , vs. jacksonville . in 2004, recorded team-high 10 tackles along 1 forced fumble @ carolina in defensive effort limited panthers 10 points, registered 10 tackles , 1 interception vs. san diego chargers, helped limit ladainian tomlinson 64 yards on 23 carries worth 2.8 avg, recorded 9 tackles , first sack since 2001 season vs. tampa bay, registered 2 forced fumbles, 1 sack , season-high 12 tackles against carolina. season, falcons reached nfc championship game defeated philadelphia eagles 10-27. although, brooking named pro bowl honors fourth straight year after totaling team-high 144 tackles. finished 2.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery , 3 interceptions led team in tackles 10 times.

in 2005 finished season team-high 150 tackles in addition establishing career-highs in interceptions (4) , passes defensed (10), recorded 1 fumble recovery , tied career-high 3.5 sacks. started first game of season @ middle linebacker in place of injured ed hartwell (achilles) @ new orleans , led linebacker corps 8 tackles in addition posting second interception of season, recorded 12 tackles , first sack of season vs seattle . brooking established career-high fourth interception of season @ tampa bay in addition tallying team-high 12 tackles. posted 8 tackles, 1 sack , 1 interception vs. minnesota in 100th career game, became first falcons player record sack , interception in same game since 2000 vs st. louis rams, tallied 1 sack, 1 pass defensed , team-high 10 tackles vs. carolina in season finale. tied team record when named fifth consecutive pro bowl appearance.

in 2006, brooking led team 165 tackles sixth year in row, added 2.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery , 1 pass defensed. led team in tackles 12 vs. tampa bay in addition assisting defense did not allow touchdown second consecutive game, collected team-high 13 tackles @ detroit lions in addition first sack of season, tallied fourth straight double-digit tackle game 15 @ baltimore ravens . again vs tampa bay, led team in tackles season-high 18, posted 9 tackles , 1 sack (9 yards) vs. new orleans saints . in 2007, finished 127 tackles ( 82 solo ), 2 sacks loss of 13 yards, 1 fumble recovery , 4 passes defensed in 16 starts. posted team-high 11 tackles , 1 pass defensed @ jacksonville, led team 10 tackles, including 9 solo tackles @ new orleans , logged 6 tackles , 1 sack (8 yards) vs. san francisco 49ers . notched team-high 10 tackles in thursday night game vs. indianapolis colts, in addition recording 1 sack (5 yards). had season-high 15 tackles vs buccaneers defense allowed season-low 109 passing yards. brooking became free agent on february 27, 2009.

dallas cowboys

brooking during game in denver on october 4, 2009.

brooking signed three-year $6 million contract ($2.5 million guaranteed) dallas cowboys on february 28, 2009, after , falcons did not reach agreement. in 2009, started @ inside linebacker besides bradie james, posting 156 tackles (second on team), 3 sacks (fourth on team). in 2010, registered 151 tackles (second on team), 2 tackles loss, 1 sack, 6 quarterback pressures, 1 interception , 9 passes defensed. in 2011, emergence of sean lee, split snaps james @ other inside linebacker spot , finished 50 tackles. @ end of season, club decided not re-sign him.

he became heart , soul of defense , team s emotional leader, cowboys had not had since michael irvin team s emotional leader in 1990s. brooking s pregame on-field speeches credited motivating team reach playoffs , contend nfc east championship in first season team. brooking made headlines in january 2010 when cowboys defeated minnesota in divisional round of playoffs. brett favre threw 4 touchdown passes during game, , brooking argued since vikings had won fourth quarter, last pass unnecessary, unsportsmanlike, , served no purpose other run score , pad favre s stats. brooking displayed anger violently choking minnesota viking s bernard berrian forearm after tackle, pulled off referee. same day article written in dallas morning news brooking s motivational speeches. ironically featured speech earlier game:

before washington game, players gather around, brooking screams, re gonna keep hitting em, re gonna keep hitting em! players shout, yeah! after both lines.

brooking, wide-eyed , picking speed, says, might up. re gonna hit em again! , when re barely hanging on ...

at point choice cuts in, re gonna do?

brooking concludes: re gonna hit em in mouth! re gonna bloody nose! re gonna knock em ground!

denver broncos

on august 6, 2012, brooking signed one-year contract denver broncos. @ 37 years of age, not re-signed @ end of season.

nfl statistics