Larry Brooks
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Lee Brooks, Sr. (born June 10, 1950), is a former American Football
defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams eleven seasons from 1972 to 1982 in the National Football League
. Brooks was drafted in the 14th round of the 1972 NFL Draft
after playing college football
at Virginia State University
.
year of 1972.
He collected 9 quarterback sack
s in 1973 and the Rams defense was tops in the NFL against the run (allowed 1270 rushing yards) and led the NFL in total defense (allowing just 2970 yards). Larry led Ram defensive linemen in tackles for the first time with 76. The 1973 Los Angeles Rams did not allow 300 yards in all 14 games in a 14-game season. in 2008 the Steelers' defense has held opponents to under 300 yards in all 14 games this season, tied for the longest streak to start a season since 1970. However, the Steelers did not break the Rams' record.
In 1974 Brooks tackled opposing passers 11 times as the Rams were first in the NFC with 44 sacks and again led the NFL in allowing the fewest rushing yards with 1302 while allowing the fewest points, 181. That season Brooks was All-NFC as selected by Pro Football Weekly
, and Second-team All-Pro by NEA. For the second season in a row, Brooks led all Ram defensive linemen in tackles with 73, not including his 11 sacks, which trailed only Jack Youngblodo and Fred Dryer, the team leaders.
He recorded 5 sacks in 1975 before a knee injury shelved him for the second half of the season. The Rams clearly missed him during the NFC Championship loss to Dallas
as they were suckered countless times by the Cowboys shotgun
in a 37-7 loss. The Rams defense was 2nd in the NFL in rushing defense missing out on leading the NFL for the third consecutive year by a single yard. The Minnesota Vikings
allowed 1532 rushing yards, while the Rams allowed 1533, allowing the Vikings to capture that title. Nonetheless, the Rams allowed the fewest points in the NFL for the second straight season with 135 (missing the NFL record by 3 points).
Brooks rebounded in 1976 was named to the Pro Bowl and was voted Second-team All-NFC by UPI. His 74 tackles again led Ram defensive linemen, with 13 of those going for a loss, to go along with his 14½ sacks which tied him for the team lead with Jack Youngblood
. The Rams led the NFC in rushing defense for the third time in the past four years. They were second only the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL in that category.
In 1977 was named First-team All-Pro by the Pro Football Writers Association
(PFWA) and The Sporting News
and First-team All-NFC teams among several others. Rams allowed 146 points, 2nd best in the NFL. Brooks' 6½ sacks were 3rd on the team behind Jack Youngblood and Fred Dryer
. His 71 tackles (55 solo) led all Rams defensive linemen (again) and returned to the Pro Bowl (again). Was voted the Rams Outstanding Defensive Lineman by the Los Angeles Rams Alumni.
In 1978 Brooks was named Second-team All-Pro by Associated Press
(AP) and NEA and First-team All-NFC by the UPI and Pro Football Weekly
despite missing the last 2 games of the season plus the NFC Championship game with a knee injury. Led Rams in sacks with 8 as Rams were second in the NFC in sacks and led the NFL in total defense for the second time in the last six years. Brooks again led Rams defensive linemen in tackles with 80 (60 of them solo). Was voted to his third Pro Bowl, but missed the game as teammate Cody Jones (who was the first alternate) replaced him.
In 1979 he led the Rams defensive line in tackles with 99 (9 behind the line of scrimmage) and had 6 sacks and knocked down 4 passes as Rams defense led the NFC in sacks with 52. Was named First-team All-Pro by the AP. Ended season by playing in Super Bowl XIV
with a torn up ankle as Rams lost to the world champion Pittsburgh Steelers
. He also received another post season honor, that of Second-team All-NFC by UPI.
In 1980 Brooks led the defensive line in tackles with 54. His tackle number was lower than previous years as Rams began a rotation system at tackle with Brooks, Cody Jones (33 tackles-4 sacks), and Mike Fanning (37 tackles-10 sacks), who were all healthy for the first time since 1978. The 1980 season was the first since 1969 that three Ram defensive tackles amassed more than 30 tackles each. In addition to having 8½ sacks (as the Rams defense led the NFC with 56 sacks) Brooks was named to his 5th straight Pro Bowl was wasn Second-team All-NFC by UPI. That marked the sixth season out of the last seven that Brooks attained post-season honors, in being either All-Pro, All-NFC, or a Pro Bowl selection. It also marked the seventh season in the last eight that Brooks led the Rams defensive linemen in tackles.
The 1981 season was marred by injury as Brooks injured a knee at mid-season. The knee seemingly never fully recovered and Brooks played only 2 games at the end of the 1982 season.
from 1994–1998, the Seattle Seahawks
from 1999-2002 both under Mike Holmgren
, Then to the Chicago Bears
in 2003, and was the Detroit Lions
defensive line coach from 2004-05. He spent the 2006 season as the defensive line coach for the Arizona Cardinals
marking his 21st season as an NFL assistant coach and 33rd season in the NFL as either a player or coach.
In 1991 after his 20 years with the Rams (12 as a player, 8 as coach), Brooks returned to his alma mater, where he served as Virginia States’ Assistant Athletic Director and assistant football coach. He was ultimately named Athletic Director in 1993 before his return to the NFL in 1994.
In 1998, he led the Packers to become the NFL’s fourth-ranked defensive unit that held its opponents to 281.7 yards a game, and a rushing defense that allowed just 90.1 rushing yards a game. He worked with former all-time sack leader Reggie White (198) and accepted the opportunity to groom one of the NFL’s top sack masters, Michael Sinclair. His line played a major role in Green Bay’s Super Bowl XXXI victory when the defense allowed a league low 259.8 yards per game and a meager 3.5-yard per rush average.
Larry Brooks, defensive line; born June 10, 1950, Prince George, Va. Defensive lineman Virginia State 1968-1971. Pro defensive tackle Los Angeles Rams 1972-1982. College coach: Virginia State 1992-93. Pro coach: Los Angeles Rams 1983-1990, Green Bay Packers 1994-98, Seattle Seahawks 1999-2002, Chicago Bears 2003, Detroit Lions 2004-05, joined Arizona Cardinals in 2006. As of 2008, Brooks currently serves as the defensive line coach at his alma mater Virginia State University
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams eleven seasons from 1972 to 1982 in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Brooks was drafted in the 14th round of the 1972 NFL Draft
1972 NFL Draft
The 1972 National Football League Draft was held on February 1–2, 1972.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
after playing college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Virginia State University
Virginia State University
Virginia State University is a historically black and land-grant university located north of the Appomattox River in Chesterfield, in the Richmond area. Founded on , Virginia State was the United States's first fully state-supported four-year institution of higher learning for black Americans...
.
High school
Virginia Sport Hall of Fame 2000 inductee, Larry Brooks, a native of Prince George and a Prince George High School standout, made a name for himself at every level of athletics. In high school, he was selected as an All-Central District choice as a defensive end.College career
Brooks furthered his education and attended Virginia State University, where he was named to the Associated Press Little All-American team as a defensive tackle in 1971. He also was named Virginia Small College Lineman of the Year and received All-conference honors.Pro career
Brooks became a starter at right defensive tackle in the 8th game of the season during his rookieRookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
year of 1972.
He collected 9 quarterback sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s in 1973 and the Rams defense was tops in the NFL against the run (allowed 1270 rushing yards) and led the NFL in total defense (allowing just 2970 yards). Larry led Ram defensive linemen in tackles for the first time with 76. The 1973 Los Angeles Rams did not allow 300 yards in all 14 games in a 14-game season. in 2008 the Steelers' defense has held opponents to under 300 yards in all 14 games this season, tied for the longest streak to start a season since 1970. However, the Steelers did not break the Rams' record.
In 1974 Brooks tackled opposing passers 11 times as the Rams were first in the NFC with 44 sacks and again led the NFL in allowing the fewest rushing yards with 1302 while allowing the fewest points, 181. That season Brooks was All-NFC as selected by Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly is an American sports magazine, founded in 1967, that covers the National Football League...
, and Second-team All-Pro by NEA. For the second season in a row, Brooks led all Ram defensive linemen in tackles with 73, not including his 11 sacks, which trailed only Jack Youngblodo and Fred Dryer, the team leaders.
He recorded 5 sacks in 1975 before a knee injury shelved him for the second half of the season. The Rams clearly missed him during the NFC Championship loss to Dallas
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
as they were suckered countless times by the Cowboys shotgun
Shotgun formation
The shotgun formation is a formation used by the offensive team in American and Canadian football. This formation is used mainly for passing plays, although some teams use it as their base formation. In the shotgun, instead of the quarterback receiving the snap from center at the line of scrimmage,...
in a 37-7 loss. The Rams defense was 2nd in the NFL in rushing defense missing out on leading the NFL for the third consecutive year by a single yard. The Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
allowed 1532 rushing yards, while the Rams allowed 1533, allowing the Vikings to capture that title. Nonetheless, the Rams allowed the fewest points in the NFL for the second straight season with 135 (missing the NFL record by 3 points).
Brooks rebounded in 1976 was named to the Pro Bowl and was voted Second-team All-NFC by UPI. His 74 tackles again led Ram defensive linemen, with 13 of those going for a loss, to go along with his 14½ sacks which tied him for the team lead with Jack Youngblood
Jack Youngblood
Herbert Jackson "Jack" Youngblood, III is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League for fourteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He was a five-time consensus All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowl...
. The Rams led the NFC in rushing defense for the third time in the past four years. They were second only the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL in that category.
In 1977 was named First-team All-Pro by the Pro Football Writers Association
Pro Football Writers Association
Technically known as the Pro Football Writers of America, this organization purports to be "The official voice of pro football writers, promoting and fighting for access to NFL personnel to best serve the public." Goals of the organization include improving access to practices and locker rooms,...
(PFWA) and The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
and First-team All-NFC teams among several others. Rams allowed 146 points, 2nd best in the NFL. Brooks' 6½ sacks were 3rd on the team behind Jack Youngblood and Fred Dryer
Fred Dryer
John Frederick "Fred" Dryer is an American actor and former football defensive end in the National Football League . Dryer played 13 years in the NFL, playing 176 games, starting 166, and recording 104 career sacks with the New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams...
. His 71 tackles (55 solo) led all Rams defensive linemen (again) and returned to the Pro Bowl (again). Was voted the Rams Outstanding Defensive Lineman by the Los Angeles Rams Alumni.
In 1978 Brooks was named Second-team All-Pro by Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
(AP) and NEA and First-team All-NFC by the UPI and Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly is an American sports magazine, founded in 1967, that covers the National Football League...
despite missing the last 2 games of the season plus the NFC Championship game with a knee injury. Led Rams in sacks with 8 as Rams were second in the NFC in sacks and led the NFL in total defense for the second time in the last six years. Brooks again led Rams defensive linemen in tackles with 80 (60 of them solo). Was voted to his third Pro Bowl, but missed the game as teammate Cody Jones (who was the first alternate) replaced him.
In 1979 he led the Rams defensive line in tackles with 99 (9 behind the line of scrimmage) and had 6 sacks and knocked down 4 passes as Rams defense led the NFC in sacks with 52. Was named First-team All-Pro by the AP. Ended season by playing in Super Bowl XIV
Super Bowl XIV
Super Bowl XIV was an American football game played on January 20, 1980 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1979 regular season...
with a torn up ankle as Rams lost to the world champion Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. He also received another post season honor, that of Second-team All-NFC by UPI.
In 1980 Brooks led the defensive line in tackles with 54. His tackle number was lower than previous years as Rams began a rotation system at tackle with Brooks, Cody Jones (33 tackles-4 sacks), and Mike Fanning (37 tackles-10 sacks), who were all healthy for the first time since 1978. The 1980 season was the first since 1969 that three Ram defensive tackles amassed more than 30 tackles each. In addition to having 8½ sacks (as the Rams defense led the NFC with 56 sacks) Brooks was named to his 5th straight Pro Bowl was wasn Second-team All-NFC by UPI. That marked the sixth season out of the last seven that Brooks attained post-season honors, in being either All-Pro, All-NFC, or a Pro Bowl selection. It also marked the seventh season in the last eight that Brooks led the Rams defensive linemen in tackles.
The 1981 season was marred by injury as Brooks injured a knee at mid-season. The knee seemingly never fully recovered and Brooks played only 2 games at the end of the 1982 season.
Coaching career
Brooks retired after the 1982 season and from 1983-1990 was assistant defensive line coach for the Rams. He spent eight years with the team, where he was paired with defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur. He served as the defensive line coach for the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
from 1994–1998, the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
from 1999-2002 both under Mike Holmgren
Mike Holmgren
Michael George Holmgren is a former professional football coach and current President of the Cleveland Browns. He served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 1992 to 1998, and the Seattle Seahawks from 1999 to 2008...
, Then to the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 2003, and was the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
defensive line coach from 2004-05. He spent the 2006 season as the defensive line coach for the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
marking his 21st season as an NFL assistant coach and 33rd season in the NFL as either a player or coach.
In 1991 after his 20 years with the Rams (12 as a player, 8 as coach), Brooks returned to his alma mater, where he served as Virginia States’ Assistant Athletic Director and assistant football coach. He was ultimately named Athletic Director in 1993 before his return to the NFL in 1994.
In 1998, he led the Packers to become the NFL’s fourth-ranked defensive unit that held its opponents to 281.7 yards a game, and a rushing defense that allowed just 90.1 rushing yards a game. He worked with former all-time sack leader Reggie White (198) and accepted the opportunity to groom one of the NFL’s top sack masters, Michael Sinclair. His line played a major role in Green Bay’s Super Bowl XXXI victory when the defense allowed a league low 259.8 yards per game and a meager 3.5-yard per rush average.
Larry Brooks, defensive line; born June 10, 1950, Prince George, Va. Defensive lineman Virginia State 1968-1971. Pro defensive tackle Los Angeles Rams 1972-1982. College coach: Virginia State 1992-93. Pro coach: Los Angeles Rams 1983-1990, Green Bay Packers 1994-98, Seattle Seahawks 1999-2002, Chicago Bears 2003, Detroit Lions 2004-05, joined Arizona Cardinals in 2006. As of 2008, Brooks currently serves as the defensive line coach at his alma mater Virginia State University
Virginia State University
Virginia State University is a historically black and land-grant university located north of the Appomattox River in Chesterfield, in the Richmond area. Founded on , Virginia State was the United States's first fully state-supported four-year institution of higher learning for black Americans...
.