SASKATOON — Antoine Brooks Jr. combines football and footwork.
Although professional sports are serious business, the second-year Saskatchewan Roughrider invariably finds time to laugh, dance, or do anything possible to enhance the environment around the team.
“My teammates are telling me all day that my good spirit is actually getting them to go and keep going,” Brooks Jr. said after rookie camp concluded Friday at Griffiths Stadium.
“I have fun every day. My life is great and I’m enjoying every bit of it. And me busting the moves … I always bust moves.
“I’ve been busting moves since I was a little kid. You’re probably going to see more.”
Brooks Jr. moved to Saskatchewan in the spring of 2024 and quickly took advantage of his first CFL opportunity.
He scored on a 46-yard interception return in the Roughriders’ pre-season finale — a 28-27 victory over the host Edmonton Elks on May 25th.
He returned to Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium and made his regular-season debut on June 8th, when Saskatchewan opened up with a 29-21 win.
The 5-foot-11, 215-pounder spent the remainder of the 2024 campaign on the practice roster.
“I was enjoying it and just trying to learn the playbook,” Brooks Jr. said. “I wanted to make sure I’m ready for this year.”
His preparedness paid dividends on Day 1 of rookie camp when he intercepted a pass and motored toward the end zone — while dancing, of course, and having fabulous fun with his defensive cohorts.
“I’m always near that ball, but this year I’m way more ready than I was last year,” the former University of Maryland Terrapins standout said. “That’s because I understand the game and I know the 12-man game now.
“The defence is actually going by slow to me now, so I’m having fun with it. Once everything slows down, you start having fun.”
Not that he ever stops having fun.
“Family and friends are first, so when I see them I’m always excited,” Brooks Jr. said. “That’s why I come here every day — to make sure that they’re happy, too.
“You never know what somebody’s going through. You don’t ever know if they’ve gotten a call from home and you need to pick them up.
“(Friday) morning, everybody seemed a little quiet, so I was yelling in their ear, anyway.”
Although Brooks Jr. is a returnee, he was eligible for rookie camp because it is open to anyone who played seven or fewer games the previous year — or no more than eight in a CFL career.
More games are on the horizon if he can carry a robust rookie-camp performance into Coors Light Training Camp, which begins Sunday morning at Griffiths Stadium, and beyond.
That is certainly a reasonable inference in light of the praise he has received from Head Coach Corey Mace in recent days.
“That’s a good feeling,” Brooks Jr. said of the commendation. “I’m just here to work hard and contribute to my team and do as much as I can.”
As evidence to that effect, he can contribute as a linebacker or in the defensive backfield — making his presence felt (and heard) wherever he is deployed.
“I love being physical,” Brooks Jr. said. “I’m a violent guy when I play football.
“The mental part is actually doing the extra step to make sure that I know what I’m doing, I know what hole I’m in, I know what coverage I’ve got, and I know when I’m blitzing.
“That’s all I’ve been keying on. I’ve been watching the film, watching the older guys, and making sure that I can play everywhere on the field.”
MAIN EVENTS
Mace looks forward to experiencing the vibe once main camp begins Sunday at 8:30 a.m.
“The intensity right away is going to fly off the shelf,” the West Division’s reigning Coach of the Year said.
“I’ve been talking about it for a few weeks now. The vets have been waiting for this. We’ve put the rookies on notice to mentally take in everything they can to allow them to play fast and know what they’re able to do, because the speed and the intensity are going to up another notch or two once the vets get in.”
There should be an accompanying elevation in attendance at Griffiths Stadium. Day 1 of main camp, in particular, is always a big draw.
“No matter what you do, you’ve got more people around,” Mace said. “Obviously, with our fan base, we expect that kind of stuff.
“It’s certainly nice to see for the guys, but it’s also nice to interact with the fans who come out here. They could be doing something else, but to share their time with us, that means a lot to us.”
