GRAMBLING — It was instilled in Michael Brooks from a young age to do the right thing.
The LHSAA football champion with Ruston High School, 10-year NFL veteran and Colorado and Louisiana Sports Hall of Famer is the youngest of 13 children. His late mother, Louise, was his best friend while his late World War II veteran father, Oscar, was his hero.
One of the biggest lessons Brooks learned from his family was that if he wanted to be good at something, he had to give it his all. He continued giving back to his community Saturday by holding his first youth football camp at Lincoln Preparatory School.
Multiple of Brooks’ family members and NFL alumni were in attendance at the camp as they look to inspire the next generation.
“We wanted to come back and do some positive things in the community and the neighborhood and just show these kids that there’s other things they can do in their life,” Brooks said. “I know football motivated me. (The NFL guys are) really good fathers, not only good athletes, they’re great people. So I want the kids to look at them and see somebody they can emulate themselves to.
“Even if you aren’t a professional football player, you can learn discipline. You can learn how to get along with your other teammates. And that’s what life is all about, because you can’t do this thing on your own. You’ve got to learn how to mix with people, no matter what their background is. I want to bring that attitude and hard work to the kids and let them see that there’s something else that (they) can do.”
Children of various ages donned blue and orange shirts with Proverbs 3:6 on the back of the shirts. They went through different football drills and 7-on-7 action throughout the camp and were constantly encouraged by counselors.
One of the NFL alumni at camp was fellow Louisiana Sports Hall of Famer Dalton Hilliard, one of the greatest running backs in LSU history and Brooks’ teammate. There weren’t any football camps hosted by professionals when Hilliard was growing up in Patterson. Some of the biggest lessons Hilliard learned in life came from his high school coaches and teachers.
Hilliard and Brooks also learned plenty from each other as their decades-long friendship is still growing strong.
“We learned at a very young age that football was going to carry us so far. We have to develop something way beyond that,” Hilliard said. “I’m very thankful to be here because he had done that. Life after football is something you have to deal with and continue to have. This is what he’s doing today.”
Bastrop and LSU alumnus and fellow NFL veteran Rueben Randle also was a counselor at Brooks’ camp and gave a speech to campers during its awards ceremony. He fondly remembered attending a camp Winnsboro alum Booger McFarland hosted when he was younger as well as being the MVP of that camp.
Randle enjoyed getting to know Brooks at his camp on Saturday.
“We both had that football mentality that really saved us,” Randle said. “Sports really got us out of the lifestyle that we were in. It was an honor to come here and meet him and share this field with him. Anytime we have something like this going on and I can make it, I will be here.”
The biggest things Brooks stressed to campers are to have a strong foundation and get an education. Another goal he wanted to get out of the camp is to teach youth about the importance of showing up on time and focusing on details. Brooks also stressed the value of being observant when someone is unsure of what to do in a situation.
“You can learn a lot of things just by paying attention,” Brooks said. “That’s part of life, too. Learn from your next man in front of you or the man behind you. That’s how you learn as well.”
Brooks loves the trajectory his alma mater Ruston is going on in academics and athletics. The Bearcats have excelled in multiple sports with football and basketball playing in LHSAA championships last school year and multiple individuals placing high in their respective finals.
“They care about those kids over there,” Brooks said. “Growing up in Ruston, you’ve got a lot of great athletes in north Louisiana. It takes great coaches to have a good team. I think that’s what we have here in this area. Great coaches and great people can help inspire guys to bring out the best in them.”
This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Ruston alumnus Michael Brooks inspires others with first football camp
