Tag: British Brooks

Texans RB British Brooks gives shoutout to ‘second grandpa’ Mack Brown

British Brooks owes a ton of credit to North Carolina head coach Mack Brown for giving him a chance to play his way to the Houston Texans roster.

British Brooks has plenty of people to thank up to this point in his journey.

AJ Blue, Brooks’ cousin and strength and conditioning coach, is one.

Denver Broncos running back and former North Carolina teammate Javontae Williams is another.

So are fellow Tar Heels Micheal Carter and Antonio Williams

Athena, Brooks’ 130-pound XL bulldog, deserves her flowers after helping him recover from a knee injury in 2022. She needed to go to the bathroom, meaning Brooks would have to run up and down three flights of stairs three times a day to let her out.

But Brooks, the Houston Texans’ newest running back and perhaps biggest surprise player of training camp, made sure in his first public appearance after making the active roster to thank Tar Heels coach Mack Brown for giving him a chance to fall in love with the game again.

“[Brown] really feels like a family member, like, I can call him my second grandpa,” Brooks said Wednesday. “Me and him are literally like clones. … Mack’s my dog, for real. We tell each other I love you, I called him yesterday, it was his birthday. That’s one coach that I feel really believed in me and that’s another reason I didn’t want to leave and I didn’t want to transfer.”

Brooks, who the Texans will work at multiple positions, including fullback and tight end, wasn’t heavily recruited out of Ashbrook High School in Gastonia, North Carolina. He felt he should have had more prominent offers and wanted to show he could hang at the Division I level.

So Brooks walked on at Chapel Hill in 2018. Brown, perhaps best known for his time at the University of Texas, arrived a year after Brooks following a five-year hiatus from coaching.

Brown and Brooks built a relationship closer to family than coach and player. When Brooks suffered his season-ending knee injury, Brown gifted him a golf cart to move around at practice.

People around the program used to joke that Brooks became more than a player, but Brown’s favorite person in Chapel Hill.

“He always tried to baby me, take me everywhere he went like PJs [Private Jets] and stuff,” Brooks laughed.

But Brown also gave Brooks a chance to show what other coaches missed. After missing over 600 days of football, Brooks bounced back with a career-best 103-yard-outing against South Carolina in the season opener.

He finished his senior season with 318 rushing yards and two touchdowns, which was enough to put him on the radar of NFL teams leading up to the draft. Although he wasn’t drafted, walking on and meeting the right staff at North Carolina prepared him for another journey of walking onto another roster without any guarantees of making the practice squad, let alone the active roster.

“I knew I was going to go hard, but once I saw people in the running back room and I seen how Jalen Pitre works and I seen how a lot of these dudes work, I just needed to up my game a little bit so I knew I really had to give my all every day,” Brooks said.

Brooks didn’t see much preseason action, but he made the most of his reps. In the win over the New York Giants, he scored two touchdowns late while finishing with 28 yards.

Against the Los Angeles Rams in the preseason, he bulldozed defensive lineman Jason Taylor while serving as a lead blocker for J.J. Taylor.

“One thing about British, the kid is tough, he’s reliable, he’s smart and that goes a long way in this League,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “That plays anywhere and he’s shown that.”

Brooks’ role for now remains undetermined. He’s a running back on the depth chart, but Houston plans to use him in multiple positions to begin his career. He’s willing to play anywhere so long as he plays.

“I don’t care if I have to play center, O-line, you know wherever they need me at, they won’t hear a no from me,” Brooks said.

The Tar Heel stuck around through camp. He’s sticking here past Week 1 and could be a long-term piece to Houston’s success beyond 2024.
Brooks is an easy player to root for when looking at his path from high school to college to an active NFL roster. Back home in North Carolina, his biggest will be watching.

He’s already let the internet know how proud he is of Brooks.

“Mack Brown has been really special,” Brooks said.

Former UNC running back makes Houston Texans 53-man roster

Former UNC football running back British Brooks made the Houston Texas 53-man roster today.

Former UNC football players around the league held their breath as all NFL rosters had to be cut down to 53 men today. After a training camp and preseason roster of over 70 men, 20+ of them theoretically, had to be waived from 32 teams.

One of those former Tar Heels, British Brooks, was one whose name was easily on the chopping block. The running back room in Houston brought in Joe Mixon from Cincinnati and had Dameon Pierce, Dare Ogunbowale, and Cam Akers along with more.

However, Brooks was not one of the players that the Texans decided to cut and did enough in the preseason to warrant a spot on a team.

Brooks ran one time for negative two yards in the Hall of Fame game in his first NFL action. He proceeded to run two times for three years in Week 1 of the preseason against the Steelers.

Week 3 is when he exploded onto the scene rushing five times for 23 yards and two touchdowns against the Giants. He capped it off with a five-attempt, 25-yard game against the Rams last weekend.

Houston chose to be thin in other areas to keep five tailbacks on the roster, the four aforementioned ones, and Brooks.

Brooks will now have the opportunity to make a name for himself and North Carolina at the professional level for the time being!

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Longtime Tar Heel British Brooks shines Saturday with first two NFL touchdowns

British Brooks made his long-awaited return to the playing field for UNC last year. He enjoyed his first NFL breakout game on Saturday afternoon.

After five seasons playing primarily on special teams, backing up the UNC football team’s long line of talented running backs and missing all of 2022 with a lower-body injury, British Brooks was finally poised to start for the North Carolina Tar Heels in 2023.

After the App State game in Week 2, Brooks found himself relegated to the backup role once again. This was to no fault of his own, as star running back Omarion Hampton exploded for a 234-yard, 3-touchdown performance.

Even with all the roadblocks he faced to a starting path at UNC, Brooks made it to the NFL, signing with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent. Brooks is already making a strong case for a roster spot, scoring two touchdowns in Houston’s 28-10, Saturday preseason victory over the New York Giants.

The UNC job was Brooks’ after his long-awaited season debut last year, with Brooks rushing for 103 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. This output might’ve been surprising to some, as Brooks hadn’t played since 2021, but anyone in the UNC football program expected this kind of production from the formerly longest-tenured Tar Heel.

For Brooks’ second touchdown, he took a shotgun handoff from Tim Boyle, racing 15 yards around the left side of his offensive line and the New York defense.

Houston is four deep at running back, headlined by longtime Cincinnati Bengals starter Joe Mixon and 2022 Texans starter Dameon Pierce. Brooks’ path to a starting role would be tough in Texas, but waiting for his chance isn’t anything new.

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Texans HC DeMeco Ryans pleased with ‘wake-up call’ from rookie running backs

Jawhar Jordan and British Brooks continue to catch the attention of DeMeco Ryans and others in limited reps through the early stages of training camp.

Initially, DeMeco Ryans planned for Houston Texans rookie running back Jawhar Jordan and British Brooks to see exclusive reps during the fourth quarter of the Hall of Fame game last Thursday night against the Chicago Bears.

The weather decided to quite literally rain on the team’s plan and their parade in the eventual 21-17 loss in Canton, Ohio.

Jordan, a sixth-round pick out of Louisville, finished with just three carries for five yards. Brooks, an undrafted free agent from North Carolina, touched the ball once for a loss of two yards.

Reps are essential to determine if a player can withstand contact at the pro level, so Jordan and Brooks are expected to see an expanded total of carries Friday night when Houston takes on Pittsburgh in its second preseason.

That doesn’t mean either player hasn’t impressed the coaching staff with the minor opportunities.

“Out of the reps they did get, they made the most out of it,” Ryans said. “You see Brooks made a nice play on special teams. Jawhar had a run that we think we could’ve done a better job of finishing and running the ball, so now I see how he’s running the ball in practice. He’s done a great job this week. Probably his best week of camp so far.”

Jordan, who last season finished with a 1,128 as Louisville’s top rusher, also adds value on special teams. He’s rotated in with Dameon Pierce, Tank Dell and others on kickoff and punt return drills.

Brooks, primarily used on third down in Chapel Hill last season, has been physical on kickoff and punt coverage while working with the third-team offense. In pass protection, he’s improved while guarding both Davis Mills and Case Keenum.

Although their rep counts were limited, Ryans views Thursday’s game as a positive baseline for both players to show what they must improve on if they hope to make the active roster.

“That game definitely served its purpose of showing the young guys, ‘Hey, what does it truly take to build and get better in the league.’ They’ve got that answer. They’ve got that wake-up call, so to speak. And they’ve shown it this week in practice.”

The Texans will kick off at Acrisure Stadium at 6 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on NFL Network.

Looking back at British Brooks’ UNC football career

We take a look at the best photos from running back British Brooks’s career at UNC, as he embarks on his NFL journey with the Houston Texans.

When it comes to making the most out of every carry, not many did like North Carolina running back [autotag]British Brooks[/autotag], who now has the opportunity to do it on the pro level. 

Brooks signed with the Houston Texans following the 2024 NFL draft, one of six undrafted Tar Heels to find a new home. Brooks didn’t have the best luck at UNC, with injuries telling the story of his Tar Heel career. 

Brooks was expected to be the lead back in 2022, however, after sustaining an injury he missed the entirety of the season. Brooks did bounce back this past season, having an emotional return in UNC’s game opener against South Carolina, where the Tar Heel rushed for 103 yards on 15 carries. 

Brooks had a bruising back that showed shades of what Javonte Williams did at UNC. Brooks averaged 6.1 yards per carry, moving the chains and electrifying fans while doing so.  

As Brooks embarks on his next journey, we take a look at the best photos of his Tar Heel career. 

 

Helmet stickers for UNC’s letdown at NC State

While the Tar Heels disappointed us all again in last night’s football game at NC State, there were a few players who stood out.

There’s not much positive to say about UNC’s regular-season finale on Saturday night.

The Tar Heels lost to NC State, 39-20, scoring most of their points in garbage time. UNC star running back Omarion Hampton never got going, while quarterback Drake Maye was highly inefficient through the air.

Saturday was Carolina’s third straight loss to its greatest football rival, a now, one-sided series that becomes less of a rivalry with results like Saturday’s. I thought the Tar Heels would at least show up and make it competitive, but they sorely lacked that fight.

Give credit to the Wolfpack, who played one of their most complete games of 2023. In its fifth-straight win, dual-threat quarterback Brennan Armstrong threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns. Six different ball-carriers combined for 170 yards and another score.

Even in the disappointing result for Carolina, there were a couple players who shined.

Omarion Hampton just 77 rushing yards away from 1,000 on the season

UNC running back Omarion Hampton can join the long list of 1,000-yard rushers in school history on Saturday. He needs just 77 more yards.

Just how good is UNC sophomore running back Omarion Hampton?

The Tar Heels still have four games remaining in the regular season, starting with a 12 p.m. ET home kickoff tomorrow against in-state, FCS opponent Campbell University. This should be a great opportunity for Carolina to hit reset and, if it dominates, possibly climb back into the AP Poll.

In those four games, Hampton has a golden chance to reach 1,000 yards in just his second collegiate season.

He currently sits at 923 yards and is fresh off his third straight, 100-yard output. Hampton’s yardage total puts him sixth in the nation, while his 10 rushing touchdowns scored ties him for fourth.

Hampton’s not too shabby of a receiver, either, as he’s one of eight Tar Heels to register 100 receiving yards. He’s the beneficiary of a Drake Maye-led offense that spreads around the football a lot.

Depending on how large of a lead Carolina builds tomorrow, Hampton will almost certainly reach 1,000 yards. The only instance I could see him missing the mark is if he breaks off a big run early, gets pulled for British Brooks and Maye only throws the ball from there on out.

If Hampton hits the 1K mark, he’d be the first Tar Heel to do so since Ty Chandler in 2021.

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UNC offensive keys to the game against Syracuse

UNC hosts Syracuse on Saturday afternoon for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff in Chapel Hill. Check out what the Tar Heels need to do offensively.

Things are riding high right now for the UNC football program, which sits 4-0 for the first time since 1997.

The Tar Heels have enjoyed offensive outbursts each game, whether those be from the running back room, wide receiver group or Heisman Trophy candidate Drake Maye himself. They’ve engineered comebacks – late in the App State game and early in the clash with Pitt.

British Brooks took his turning leading UNC offensively in week one, running for over 100 yards in his first game action since 2021. Omarion Hampton followed with a lights-out encore, becoming the only FBS back with 200-plus rushing yards in Week 2. Nate McCollum enjoyed a breakout game in Week 3, catching over half of Maye’s passes for 165 yards and a touchdown, while Maye and J.J. Jones were cookin’ against Pitt.

With so many stars on offense, who’s going to shine against Syracuse on Saturday in UNC’s return from it’s bye week? Let’s take a deeper dive:

Hampton and Brooks give UNC one of country’s best rushing tandems

Most teams have one star running back. Luckily for UNC, they have two in the forms of Omarion Hampton and British Brooks.

In Week 1, all the talk about UNC football on offense surrounded British Brooks.

The Tar Heel native hadn’t played in a game since 2021, but ran for over 100 yards in UNC’s 31-17 win over South Carolina in the opener. He’s seceded touches since that victory, but for good reason.

In Week 2, all the talk about UNC football almost entirely surrounded Omarion Hampton, the sophomore running back from Clayton, N.C. He torched the App State defense for 234 rushing yards and three touchdowns, including an overtime score in the comeback, 40-34 Tar Heel triumph.

Hampton and Brooks have 523 rushing yards and eight touchdowns between them, giving them one of the country’s most potent rushing attacks.

Hampton was thrust into starting duty before the App State matchup, as Brooks would miss the game with yet another injury. He returned the following week against Minnesota, but it’s difficult to not start a guy coming off a historic rushing performance.

Hampton is tied with Duke running back Jordan Waters, New Mexico’s Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Marshall’s Rasheen Ali and UNLV’s Jai’Den Thomas for second nationally in rushing touchdowns. His rushing yardage total ranks second in the ACC behind Louisville’s Jahwar Jordan.

Brooks was the Heels’ starter ahead of the opener, but Hampton has now shot himself up the depth chart into that role. Opponents are going to have nightmares dealing with whichever running back takes the field.

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UNC Football: Five things to watch against Pitt

UNC travels up to Pitt for its ACC football opener on Saturday night. Check out the five areas to watch ahead of the primetime clash.

The UNC football program is exactly where it wants to be three weeks into the season – undefeated and tied atop the ACC.

The Heels downed neighboring rival South Carolina, 31-17, in Week 1 for just the fourth time in 11 matchups. British Brooks ran for over 100 yards in his first game since 2021, while UNC’s defense held the Gamecocks to three second-half points.

Carolina received a major scare from new in-state rival App State the following week in Kenan Stadium, but pulled off an overtime comeback to win, 40-34. Omarion Hampton cemented his status as UNC’s lead running back, scoring three touchdowns against the Mountaineers and leading the nation with 234 yards that week.

After two slow weeks under center, Tar Heel quarterback Drake Maye delivered a Heisman Trophy-esque performance in the 31-13 triumph over Minnesota, completing 29 passes for 414 yards (sixth in the nation) and two touchdowns.

Pitt is moving in the opposite direction, sitting at 1-2 after a 17-6 loss to West Virginia in the 106th annual Backyard Brawl. Panthers quarterback Phil Jurkovec experienced one of the worst games as a collegiate quarterback, tossing three interceptions and failing to reach the 100-yard mark.

Pitt won its opener, 45-7 against Wofford, but the offense has not looked as explosive since. The Panthers hung 21 on Cincinnati, but gave up 27 points in the loss.

UNC-Pitt is the ACC opener for both teams, so let’s take a look at five key areas ahead of the game: