A lot of football fans, both at Derrick Brooks alma mater Florida State, as well as Bucs fans, have made no secret of their wish that future Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks would come back to FSU/Tampa Bay and coach in some capacity.

Brooks usually snickers and politely declines any interest in coaching, despite the fact Brooks was considered one of the most intelligent football players to buckle a chin strap.

Once, Joe heard Brooks reply to a question if he would ever consider succeeding Bobby Bowden at Florida State yelp, “Lord, no!”

Those who are intimates of Brooks have always insisted Brooks had higher goals than just football. Janet Zink of the St. Petersburg Times seems to agree as she is floating a rumor — that Brooks didn’t exactly deny — that he will run for a seat in the Florida state senate.

Imagine the horror of uber-sports fan Jim Norman if he beats Kevin Ambler in the GOP primary for the District 12 Florida Senate seat and then has to face former Buccaneer Derrick Brooks in the general election.

Some Democrats are hoping for just that scenario. When asked if he was being courted by the party to run for the post, Brooks said this: “I’m not at liberty to talk about that right now.” When pressed, he said that ever since then-Gov. Jeb Bush appointed him to the FSU Board of Trustees, people have questioned him about his political aspirations. If he ever does decide to run, he said, it won’t be a secret. “I’ll let everyone know.”

Eric Jotkoff, spokesman for the Florida Democratic Party, said chairman Karen Thurman hasn’t talked to Brooks, but “his name has come up in internal conversations.”

It isn’t just Dems who are courting Brooks. It was former Florida governor Jeb Bush who appointed Brooks as a trustee to Florida State. When asked who among the Bucs current governor Charlie Crist would want to run for public office, Zink reports his answer was Brooks.

Roughly two years ago, Joe heard St. Petersburg native and Brooks’ former teammate at Florida State, William Floyd, speak. Like Brooks, Floyd also has a Super Bowl ring. Joe vividly remembers Floyd referring to Brooks — with a broad smile on his face — “my good friend the politician.”