C.J. Brooks: Constant Presence
9/10/2004 8:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 10, 2004
By Amy Mulligan
Maryland Media Relations Assistant
It has been a dramatic and well-chronicled journey: The past three seasons of Maryland football have put the Terrapins in the national spotlight and brought extraordinary excitement to College Park.
By now, the highlights are familiar: ACC Champions in 2001, 10 wins in each of the last three years, back-to-back bowl victories and record-breaking attendance figures. To be sure, 2001 consensus national Coach of the Year Ralph Friedgen has been there for every step of the process, but there is also a player who has been a constant presence in the Terps' lineup for three successful seasons: C.J. Brooks.
Brooks has started every game of his three-year career and returns for his senior campaign as an All-America candidate and one of the best guards in the nation. As if on a parallel course, as Friedgen's program has matured, so has Brooks.
Brooks' first season on the field, after redshirting in 2000, was also Friedgen's rookie season. As a 6-5, 300-pound freshman, Brooks' impact was felt immediately by the young squad and he earned a starting spot on the offensive line. One of just two freshman to start every game (redshirt freshman Nick Novak was the other), Brooks quickly earned a reputation with teammates and coaches as an intelligent player who took pride in finishing his blocks. He finished the year as a third team All-American by The Sporting News and the Terps won the conference crown, earned a trip to the FedEx Orange Bowl and finished at No. 17 in the final national ranking. So as freshman years go, 2001 was memorable to say the least. For both Brooks and Maryland football, it was the beginning of a journey that is not over yet.
"When I came in as a freshman, I was young and came in to a new offense with Coach Friedgen," Brooks says. "But we grew together. As the plays got tougher, we got more comfortable with the system."
Brooks followed up his rookie season with an even more impressive sophomore campaign in 2002. Again, he started each game for the Terps and became a consistent part of big plays. As with the year before, the team reaped the benefits of the combination of a strong work ethic and Friedgen's talent as a motivator and teacher. The Terrapins won 10 of their final 11 games and finished the season ranked 13th in both major polls. Maryland defeated Tennessee in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, 30-3, and it was clear that Maryland football was not a one-year wonder, but instead a fixture in the top tier of college football.
Similarly, Brooks was clearly a mainstay in the top tier of football players in the country, and 2003 was no different. A first team All-ACC selection, Brooks started every game at left guard and committed just one penalty and allowed just one sack in 740 plays. The team finished with an overall record of 10-3 and became one of only five Division I-A teams to have won at least 10 games in each of the past three seasons. As he embarks on his final year at Maryland, Brooks knows his role has changed.
"I kind of fell into a leadership position on this team," he says. "I used to always be the younger one playing with older guys. It has been such a blessing to see the development over the years and to know that I helped build Maryland football. Now, if we want to have another good season, we have to keep up the traditions that we have had since we've been here and instill them into the younger guys. That way, they know they can step up and take our places."
His coaches also know Brooks' importance to the team's success.
"C.J. is a three-year starter and has gotten well-deserved recognition for his performance," offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe says. "But C.J. is about more than that. From a leadership standpoint, as a whole offense and on our football team, he's very well respected by his teammates and coaches. He's also a very accountable person. He understands the team concept and he's a team guy, like most offensive linemen.
"With all those intangibles, he will play a big part in the leadership of this football team this year. Everyone respects C.J. He's an outstanding player and we'll be running up his side and we'll be counting on him to come through in the clutch for us," Taaffe adds.
Brooks mentions that after this year, it will be hard to imagine his life without Maryland football and the family of his coaches and teammates. It will, similarly, be hard to imagine Maryland football without C.J. Brooks.
