There was a time when Antoine Brooks Jr., who produced a pivotal pick-six for the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday, found the notion of an interception to be unpalatable.
In addition to starring on defence, he was an accomplished quarterback at DuVal High School in Lanham, Md. — at least until his senior season came to an excruciating halt.
“I was rolling out and my foot got stuck in the ground in the brand-new turf,” he recalled after Monday’s Coors Light Training Camp session at Mosaic Stadium. “I broke my ankle and broke my wrist at the same time.
“Honestly, I quit, right then and there.”
The preliminary, painful snap judgment was that his football career was over.
A doctor delivered a different prognosis after a five-hour surgical procedure.
“When I was in the hospital and the doctor said she could get me out (of the recuperative period) in six months, that’s when the confidence and everything else came back,” he said.
Look at him now … and marvel.
A proud owner of a Super Bowl ring, he is now looking to win a championship with the Roughriders.
Brooks Jr. turned heads on Saturday in Edmonton, returning an interception 46 yards for a touchdown to help the Roughriders register a 28-27 pre-season victory over the Elks.
The 5-foot-11, 220-pounder also led Saskatchewan in tackles on defence (seven) and special teams (two).
“Brooks didn’t take a ton of reps throughout camp at boundary half, and we started him there (in Edmonton) to see what he looked like,” Head Coach and Defensive Co-ordinator Corey Mace said. “He rose to the occasion and he’s still getting his reps in at Sam (strong-side linebacker) as well.
“He’s a heck of a ballplayer. He’s a banger and he laid a couple of big hits and ultimately scored a touchdown as well.
“We keep clowning him, saying, ‘Maybe you’ve got to cut five pounds.’ He was looking a little tired at the end (of the interception return), but that comes with playing defence and playing a lot of special teams.”
Special-teams play was Brooks Jr.’s area of concentration during his freshman season at the University of Maryland.
As a sophomore with the Terrapins, he made 77 defensive tackles. His 9½ tackles for a loss led all defensive backs in the Big Ten. He added two interceptions, three pass breakups and a sack.
During his junior year, he again recorded 9½ tackles for a loss. Overall, he made 68 defensive tackles while also registering 2½ sacks, one interception and three pass breakups.
His versatility, currently in evidence with the Roughriders, was on display during a superb senior season with Maryland. While being deployed at safety and linebacker, he made a team-high 87 tackles (8½ for a loss) to accompany an interception and six pass breakups. For the second year in a row, he earned second-team All-Big Ten honours, which were voted upon by the conference’s coaches.
The Pittsburgh Steelers took note, selecting Brooks Jr. in the sixth round (198th) overall of the 2020 NFL Draft.
As a rookie, he dressed for four games with the Steelers. He was waived by Pittsburgh in September of 2021 and promptly claimed by the Los Angeles Rams, for whom he appeared in eight regular-season games.
Brooks Jr. was on the Rams’ practice squad when they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 to win Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13, 2022.
“It was a blessing to play with (Rams defensive lineman) Aaron Donald and all the greats,” Brooks Jr. said. “There were a lot of great people.
“That’s why I try to put it out here for all the young cats, so you can get a Grey Cup.”
As a Roughrider, he has already been part of a celebration — one that was sparked by his interception-return TD.
“It was my brother’s birthday on Saturday so, honestly, I think it was all God,” Brooks Jr. said with a smile. “I was telling my brother (Jalen) that I’d probably get an interception for him on the weekend. It was my first time without being with him on his birthday.”
Factor in nine combined tackles and it was quite a breakout performance for someone whose confidence was “through the roof” leading up to the Roughriders’ pre-season finale.
“My confidence is from my mom, I can tell you that right now,” Keisha Staples’ 25-year-old son said. “I always had the confidence to do whatever I needed to do.
“I told some of my veteran teammates that I was going to make a lot of plays for them, just to show the young guys out here that I’m giving it my all, regardless of what’s going on.”
Brooks Jr. has embraced that philosophy while experiencing the entire emotional spectrum as a football player.
Having once feared that his career was over, he saw the pendulum swing to the point where he was part of a Super Bowl championship team.
“This journey …,” Brooks Jr. reflected. “I always remember that it’s a marathon and not a sprint.”
Unless, as we saw on Saturday, circumstances call for a sprint to the end zone.
