Derrick Brooks Gets A GM Endorsement
November 28th, 2018
BY IRA KAUFMAN
At the age of 45, Derrick Brooks is ready for a new challenge.
The first-ballot Hall of Famer needs a fresh goal, having conquered virtually any venture he has set out to accomplish. The next logical step? An NFL front office position.
It’s not like Brooks isn’t busy in Tampa, given his various charities, his affiliation with Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School and his work as an NFL appeals officer.
Somehow, he squeezes out some time each week to talk about the Bucs on his “Tampa Two” show for The Identity Tampa Bay and JoeBucsFan.com.
Brooks watched Sunday’s Bucs-49ers game with another Tampa Bay icon John Lynch, who recently made the transition from player to GM.
During the course of three hours, Brooks got a first-hand look at the frustrations Lynch deals with on a daily basis, including the arrest of a player on the night before the game.
Lynch’s weekend got off to a much better start.
On Saturday, the Tampa Sports Club held a stylish luncheon in Ybor City’s Columbia Restaurant to welcome Lynch into its Hall of Fame. I pulled Lynch aside for a few minutes and asked him what the future holds for his former teammate.
“I think Derrick Brooks can do anything he wants to do,” Lynch said. “I think he’d be tremendous as an NFL executive, I really do. First of all, he’s a football junkie. He loves it. Derrick does a lot of things with the school and charity work, but the man loves football. I know that because we talk football all the time.”
Brooks served as president of the Arena League’s Tampa Bay Storm, devising budgets and learning the organizational ropes before the franchise folded a year ago.
“Derrick’s one of the great leaders I’ve ever been around — and that’s so much of this job,” said Lynch, who watched helplessly as the 49ers tumbled to 2-9 with Sunday’s 27-9 setback in Tampa. “He can help create a vision for the road map to success. His talent’s limitless, it’s just a matter of whether that’s something he’d want to do and the timing’s got to be right. These opportunities don’t just fall off trees.”
Brooks is married with four children and he’s in no hurry to uproot his family. But if the right NFL franchise comes calling with the right position, his next stop could be the executive suite.
“You’ve got to know football inside and out and you’ve got to love the game because it’s a difficult job with a lot of hours,” said Lynch. “You’ve got to have that buy-in from your family because it’s an all-in job.”
This year hasn’t gone the way Lynch envisioned, especially after San Francisco closed the 2017 season with a five-game winning streak. But the 49ers have struggled since quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo tore his ACL in Week 3.
In less than two years as a GM, Lynch has experienced the huge mood swings that come with the job. He says Brooks is equipped to handle the highs and lows.
“Derrick’s got everything you need,” Lynch said. “Believe me, he’d be successful. Very successful.”
Now in his 40th year covering the NFL, Ira Kaufman is the most revered sports personality and writer in the Tampa Bay area. He scored a full-time seat at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters in July of 2016, and Tampa Bay’s only Pro Football Hall of Fame voter busts out columns here every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. His award-winning podcasts fire Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can also hear Ira on SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio Wednesdays at 5 p.m. Also a TV star, Ira is part of the FOX-13 Tailgate Sunday NFL show at 10:30 a.m. “The Sage” enjoys beet salads, Riesling, tennis, Bette Midler, Chiefs victories and needling Joe. …Don’t forget to WATCH IRA AND DERRICK BROOKS on the new TAMPA TWO show from The Identity Tampa Bay and JoeBucsFan.
November 28th, 2018 at 10:09 am
Lynch says ” the timing’s got to be right. These opportunities don’t just fall off trees….”
An opportunity might be falling off a tree in Derrick’s neighborhood soon. No need to “uproot” the family.
November 28th, 2018 at 10:10 am
Brooks at GM, Marinelli at HC…that should lead to a defensive resurgence!
November 28th, 2018 at 10:13 am
There are considerable skills needed to be an effective GM…….although player evaluation is paramount, the ability to negotiate deals is also key…..I just don’t know enough about DB’s skill set to have an opinion.
November 28th, 2018 at 10:13 am
Preach, John Lynch!!
Seriously, that fires me up. It would be incredible to see #55 Derrick Brooks at the helm.
November 28th, 2018 at 10:18 am
No, thank you. I LOVE #55, but I’d prefer someone with proven applicable NFL GM experience. Arena doesn’t cut it.
November 28th, 2018 at 10:19 am
I’d take Dungy over Brooks any day of the week. Brooks might be..OK. But just like Lynch in San Fran, He’s got a hellava learning curve. And we cannot afford to wait.
November 28th, 2018 at 10:23 am
A noob GM whose team is among the worst in football endorsing another noob is not what I call a “quality endorsement.”
I love Derrick Brooks the player, but his stint as GM of the Storm was decidedly mediocre to sub-minimal.
November 28th, 2018 at 10:25 am
I wouldn’t be opposed per se, but I do question his experience as a GM.
“Who’s your favorite player?……….
November 28th, 2018 at 10:27 am
No thanks on D Brooks, not sure he wants to work 23/hrs a day to be out on the road and do what it takes to make tampa a successful franchise, doing podcasts with ira and maybe watching a few games does not qualify as a gm….if you want some former buc to be a gm who is busting his butt currently and worked his way up there are a few already that come to mind like shelton quarles and doug williams who have been around the NFL team building process
November 28th, 2018 at 10:34 am
OMG, this just gets worse and worse!!!!! I may as well throw my hat in the ring!!!
November 28th, 2018 at 10:35 am
I don’t think a recommendation from lynch helps at all!!!!!!!!! That train wreck of an embarrassment that just rolled thru Tampa was appalling!!!!!!!! john lynch should have some pride and resign and remove his name from the hall of fame for the garbage that he has assembled!!!!!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 28th, 2018 at 10:35 am
Lets get a proven NFL exec.
DB is a nice story but we have zero idea if he could even do the job much less put together a staff.
November 28th, 2018 at 10:39 am
I think Brooks would be more successful as Godell’s replacement than as a GM.
November 28th, 2018 at 10:40 am
55 is not qualified to manage a damn dairy queen much less a nfl team. Hiring any of the underachieving has beens will set this team back 20 years. No one celebrates a failed past like bucfan. Bucs will have the lowest IQ front office in league if glazers start hiring the has beens…. 55 will make Matt Millen look like a genius if hired.
November 28th, 2018 at 10:41 am
You guys are clueless lmao
November 28th, 2018 at 10:41 am
I would have to agree with John Lynch. #55 CAN be successful at anything he wants to do, including as GM.
That said, there is a learning curve that comes with it just as with any new job. I’m not sure that fans here have any patience left.
I’d rather have Derrick Brooks as Mayor here in Tampa, and probably that’s an easier job than attempting to get the Buc’s to the promised land.
November 28th, 2018 at 10:44 am
I love me some Derrick Brooks but…. I’m not sure if being the president of a once proud organization that folded under your direction (albeit the whole damn league essentially has evaporated) means you have the experience it takes to lead an organization to new heights…
November 28th, 2018 at 10:44 am
Nice fuzzy feel-good read. However, I believe Ira has stated on his podcast with the two joes, in so many words in regard to Dungy/Brooks…there’s a bit of bad taste still in the mouth after the way they were both asked by the Glazers to go home, c’ya later buh-bye.
November 28th, 2018 at 10:51 am
Hawk right on D Brooks would make an excellent NFL commissioner or even AD at FSU/USF which I think is something more in his realistic realm whether staying here in the area with USF or moving North, brooks kid is playing at fsu im sure he wants to watch him and his children grow up and not be worried about signing some guy from Hulmboldt state….but pretty sure d brooks would never sign a guy from a d-3 school
November 28th, 2018 at 10:55 am
you fools living in a failed past with the dungy the clown and 55 are just so damn laughable. these players were good but no where close to being LEGENDS they could not win in the postseason yet you act like they have the same stats and wins as real legends. hilarious. most teams try to win the super bowl bucfan just wants to recreate a 500 team from 20 years ago that can’t win in the postseason. you ladies sure like to rewrite history when it comes to the actual accomplishments of the has-beens led by dungy the clown.
November 28th, 2018 at 10:56 am
just remember matt millen that’s all you need. consider that 55 is about half as intelligent as millen. it would be a disaster
November 28th, 2018 at 11:00 am
Brooks —> AD at FSU.
November 28th, 2018 at 11:02 am
@Duthsty
Brooks would “never sign a guy from a d-3 school”?
Really? – Why? – I don’t believe that.
As far as whether or not D Brooks is ready to be an NFL GM, that is fair.
— but I have no doubt WHATSOEVER that DB would do ANYTHING that it takes, including working his ass off and looking under every stone…..
to be successful.
I am surprised that more of you don’t agree with that.
November 28th, 2018 at 11:05 am
DERRICK BROOKS- GM
KRIS RICHARD- HC
TODD BOWLES- DC
HUE JACKSON- OC
sounds good to me…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
November 28th, 2018 at 11:11 am
813
That sounds like a TERRIBLE idea.
How about trying DB out as a defensive scout and see how it goes?
November 28th, 2018 at 11:14 am
” but I have no doubt WHATSOEVER that DB would do ANYTHING that it takes, including working his ass off and looking under every stone…..
to be successful.”
I agree 100% with that. I just don’t think Brooks would ‘want’ an NFL GM position. And working your ass off in a job doesn’t mean that you will be good at it. No one can do *everything*. A lot of great coaches were not great players. Two different skill sets. Brooks is a natural leader. *I* believe that the upper management of the league offices is where he would fit right in.
November 28th, 2018 at 11:16 am
john lynch is endorsing 55 because he understands that he would be NO COMPETITION to the league.
November 28th, 2018 at 11:17 am
@Hawk — Well stated, sir, and you definitely may be right on that.
November 28th, 2018 at 11:19 am
Great plan: unqualified Brooks teams up with proven failure Shelton Quarles.
Perhaps Alshermond Singleton as Chief Financial Officer?
November 28th, 2018 at 11:25 am
Hawk
why don’t you ask the families of the players, coaches, front office, the staff of the storm after 55 ran the franchise in the ground and cost them their jobs… you fools need to pull heads out of arses… too many confuse popularity and going to church on Sundays with being great or qualified.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:05 pm
Tmax(con) u do realize that Dungy had us with the best defense or top 5 every year for years Gruden came in threw in some offensive plays to get over the hump that was NFC championship game (that Dungy got us to 2 or 3 times) then played a team in the superbowl that was still using his f#*king play book. So for u to think they were all hot garbage is laughable n makes me wonder if u know jackshiat about football 😂🤦♂️🤷♂️
November 28th, 2018 at 12:06 pm
Why? So Bucs can get the No. 1 pick in two years so they can draft Trevor Lawrence? 0-16 Rod Marinelli???
November 28th, 2018 at 12:13 pm
tmaxcon Says:
November 28th, 2018 at 10:40 am
55 is not qualified to manage a damn dairy queen much less a nfl team. Hiring any of the underachieving has beens will set this team back 20 years. No one celebrates a failed past like bucfan. Bucs will have the lowest IQ front office in league if glazers start hiring the has beens…. 55 will make Matt Millen look like a genius if hired.
——————
Not that I think he should be considered, but Matt Millen was never known as a great football mind… or any kind of mind for that matter. He was a color commentator for CBS for years… and somehow that got him a job. Brooks was/is extremely smart, an Academic All-American, I think. So he has the smarts for the job, the football experience. He may not have done well with an Arena League team but that is a different story altogether, this isn’t the Arena League. My biggest question is his desire. Does he want to work 18 hour days during the season… and 16 hour days in the offseason? He’s already rich. Is it his passion? Ozzie Newsome is likely the exception and not the rule of great players being great in the front office or sidelines.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:17 pm
RODNEY J ALLEN
You do realize dungy the clown only WON 2 measly playoff games with bucs? The rest of that meaningless garbage you spew does not matter when you can’t win in the playoffs. Dungy the clown coached a bad team with a great defense. Those are the facts and his career losing record in playoffs proves it
November 28th, 2018 at 12:35 pm
Let me just say this about all you Dungy lovers. HE’S CRAP. Keep him away from the Bucs. I don’t know DB as GM. Could he be any worse than Licht? Kris Richard as HC. Not bad. But Hue Jackson as OC. No thanks. Bowles as DC. No thanks. Maybe Del Rio.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:35 pm
dungy the clown was 2-6 with bucs when it mattered most. all your feel-good stories and rewriting of history can’t change the fact that 2-6 SUCKS!!!!
November 28th, 2018 at 12:37 pm
Lubby Smith
Bernard Madoff is more suited for CFO of bucs with the fraudulent product they field year in and year out….
November 28th, 2018 at 12:38 pm
^^^ @Rodney J Allen,
Very well said man.
I don’t think tmaxcon even believes half of the stuff that he spouts (hopefully for his sake)…. He just says it for effect.
Only a moron would call Tony Dungy a “clown”.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:39 pm
@tmax please elaborate how Derrick brooks is an underachiever. I’m dying to hear this explanation
November 28th, 2018 at 12:54 pm
Del Rio has been on my radar for DC since early this season.
He did a good job in Oakland, Davis is an idiot.
November 28th, 2018 at 1:09 pm
@Joe…to fix the frickin defense…Look at the Dallas job, you think that unit is full of talent? I don’t see any sure fire head coaches falling from the sky so why not?
November 28th, 2018 at 1:12 pm
Joe Blahak
why not???? BECAUSE HE SUCKS!!!!! Just like lovie dovie, edwards, that clown that went to Detroit they all are one dimensional bums that the game has passed by just like their mentor dungy the clown.
November 28th, 2018 at 1:18 pm
you dungy nuthuggers, for the most part, are the anti jameis crowd so it’s hilarious how you will forgive Marinelli for his magical 0-16 season yet refuse to accept America’s Quarterback Jameis Winston was a VICTIM of a pathetic soft PC society more concerned with feelings than the truth. not to mention twice being a VICTIM of gold digging skanks with shameful attorneys simply out for a money grab against an immature easy target…. never charged. not guilty but you would never know that from the dirtbags here. hopefully, jameis and evans can escape the black hole that is buccaneer football.
November 28th, 2018 at 2:29 pm
A’train4047
5 playoff wins in his career is pathetic. 55 is average lb at best without sapp playing in front of him.. in addition, He hung on way too long. He was embarrassing to watch those last few years
November 28th, 2018 at 2:32 pm
@tmaxcon
…I hope Jameis escapes the black hole, good riddance. He SUCKS!…Dungy pulled this team out of the gutter…
November 28th, 2018 at 2:33 pm
^^ You generalize kind of a lot, tmaxcon. — Actually a big Jameis Winston fan here.
I just happen to feel that Tony Dungy deserves way too much respect and good will from the Tampa Bay area for what he was able to accomplish here, and for the man that he is. He brought the Bucs out of the ashes, changed the culture, and gave us so many incredible years of winning football.
November 28th, 2018 at 2:35 pm
Tampa Bay Demon
Dungy is a garbage religious hypocrite and yes i truly believe that. Last good decision bucs made was running that stubborn fool out.
November 28th, 2018 at 2:35 pm
not unless he’s bringing in Sapp as DC and Rice as Dline coach lolololol
November 28th, 2018 at 2:39 pm
2-6 when it matters most is a choke artist not saviour
November 28th, 2018 at 2:45 pm
The legend of dungy far exceeds his actual accomplishments period….
November 28th, 2018 at 2:47 pm
It would be amazing for the Bucs to have DB as their GM. It makes me think of Ozzie Newsome with Baltimore. How about a position to ease him in to the role for a year or two, like Head of Scouting or Player Development?
November 28th, 2018 at 2:58 pm
tmax- “Bernie Madoff”?!!! Too funny!
You’re on a roll today. Leave my fellow fans alone, the bar has been set low. The “glory years” of Dungy and a SB trophy with Gruden is all we have to hold on to.
I saw Tony and Jameis holding hands walking on the water in Tampa Bay the other day.
True story!
November 28th, 2018 at 3:58 pm
Would make more sense for Brooks to earn a GM job by working his way up to that point.
If he has aspirations of being a GM – DB55 needs to work as an NFL Director of Personnel or similar type job for a few years and work directly under a good GM or two’s guidance before he would be ready IMO…
November 28th, 2018 at 3:59 pm
Why do I think ronde would be better?
November 28th, 2018 at 4:14 pm
@tmax brooks made the pro bowl 11 times, was first team all pro 5 times, second team all pro 4 times, defensive player of the year in 2002 and was a first ballot hall of famer. None of that says he was an average lb at best. He still made pro bowl and was an all pro twice after Sapp left. So by going by your logic when it comes to playoff wins dan Marino must be hot trash cuz he only had 8 wins during his career.
November 28th, 2018 at 4:34 pm
@tmaxcon
You are definitely entitled to your opinions, and I am sorry that I said that you were just saying things for effect.
November 28th, 2018 at 4:58 pm
One last point about Dungy. When he came in, though, things were really hopeless around here. It had gotten to the point that we didn’t think a winning season is something that could even possibly happen.
He was able to change that culture, and give us a lot of enjoyable sundays of winning football that I still remember like it was yesterday.
Sure we could have done more in the playoffs, I get that. — But I definitely look fondly on what he accomplished while here.
November 28th, 2018 at 5:52 pm
A’train4047
pro bowls were more meaningful back then but still meaningless in the big picture… How many playoff games did Brooks lead the bucs to victory without Sapp?????
I’ll help since you people rewrite history so often….. ZERO….
November 28th, 2018 at 5:55 pm
The reason you people drive me so freaking crazy is you keep lowering the bar you would think this site was run by public school educators the way the bar keeps trending lower. Pretty soon you people will be throwing parades for 6-10 and enshrining those fools in the ring of underachievement.
bottom line is you should strive to be the very best at all costs each and every day not strive to be better than the browns or .500
November 28th, 2018 at 5:57 pm
Joe Blahak
dungy won nothing in tampa at all nor did he accomplish anything. sam whyce built dungy’s defense and he still could not win in the postseason…. stop rewriting history because you are in the same cult.
November 28th, 2018 at 6:26 pm
Trollmax
How many championship rings do you have?
November 28th, 2018 at 6:29 pm
Agree with Pickren, Both Dominic and Licht spent years working at different jobs in the front office. Even with all that experience neither has shown they were or will be great GM’s. As for Brooks, this isn’t like skipping a grade in school. Being a good GM should involve years of apprenticeship ,IMO.
A good GM should have good working knowledge and some experience in all
jobs that he will oversee. A good management training program should include that.
November 28th, 2018 at 6:36 pm
@ Tanpa Bay Demon: I totally disagree.
It was Sam Wyche who began the turn-around. He was coach during the period where the Bucs were rumored to be leaving town, depending on who bought the team.
And recall after Hugh died, his pencil-neck kid, Hugh, Jr., swore the team was near bankruptcy and put the kabosh on any spending beyond the league minimum, so there is that.
And when the Glazers came in, they too threatened to leave if Tampa didn’t build a new stadium. The last Wyche year was a depressing time to be a Bucs fan.
When Dungy was hired, all the loose ends were tied up, the team on solid footing and the skies blue. He came into a good situation.
Many forget the great work Sam Wyche did in Tampa. He brought in Hardy Nickerson who was the guy who helped turn the corner. That guy was completely full of badassery and tougher than woodpecker lips.
Many forget the real Buccaneers story. Dungy was an OK coach, but he stood on some other shoulders who made his job much easier.
November 28th, 2018 at 6:53 pm
I said it before and l will say it again. I had season tickets to the storm for 10 years. I gave my seats up when Brooks left his mark on the storm. He couldnt even get great college talent to sign with the storm.
I’m supposed to believe he can run my favorite nfl franchise? No thanks!!! He was horrible with the storm. He may be one of the greatest bucs to ever live and he appears to be a better man than a football player.
But in not way was he good for the storm. The team regressed under his leadership. I thought on name alone he could’ve gotten us better talent. Just as an nfl pipeline. Nope we got worse every year.
NO THANKS! Let him be a scout. Start him out like everyone else. Dont hand him a job because of his name.
November 28th, 2018 at 8:25 pm
@ Cobraboy
I agree completely. Sam started the change, and with Culverhouse as a boss. Nickerson started the culture change on the team by refusing to allow anyone to ‘coast’. Sam’s last year was the first time in over a decade that the Bucs did not have double-digit losses. Tony kept it moving in the right direction, but he had McKay and the Glazers behind him.
November 28th, 2018 at 11:56 pm
As much as DB is one of the greatest Bucs of all time, hell no to the experiment at GM. He doesn’t seem to have the temperament to make unbiased evaluations and assessments just from listening to him on Tampa 2 with Ira. He makes way too many excuses for lack of production. I wouldn’t mind him working his way up, but to just hand him the job with no experience? WTH man, does this organization want to win or just get by?
This team will be out of Tampa if we don’t start winning soon. And as bad as this team has been for a decade, I would hate to lose the team.
November 29th, 2018 at 10:25 am
Cobraboy Says:
“It was Sam Wyche who began the turn-around. He was coach during the period where the Bucs were rumored to be leaving town…..
….Many forget the great work Sam Wyche did in Tampa. He brought in Hardy Nickerson who was the guy who helped turn the corner. That guy was completely full of badassery and tougher than woodpecker lips.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Definitely great points, @Cobraboy, and well taken. – I have not forgotten Sam Wyche and definitely not Hardy Nickerson. Thanks for eloquently reminding of us of that time period and those building blocks.
November 29th, 2018 at 11:40 am
One of my favorite players all time.
GM is tricky. It’d be nice if the fans could see the sales pitches of these guys.
I have no idea what Derrick Brooks’ philosophy is on building a team in the modern NFL of 2018. Same with Dungy or anyone else.