Keith Brooking life and biography

Keith Brooking joined the Dallas Cowboys as a free agent on February 28, 2009 and played his first season for a team outside of his home state of Georgia for the first time in his football career. Brooking brought a wealth of knowledge of Wade Phillips' 3-4 defense having played for him in Atlanta from 2002-03. In 2009 he served as the starting middle linebacker next to Bradie James, and the duo led the team in tackles - James, 181 and Brooking, 156. Brooking totaled 200-plus tackle seasons in 2002 (212) and 2003 (207), becoming only the second Falcons player to tally 200-or-more tackles in a season twice, and his 212 tackles were the most in season since linebacker Buddy Curry tallied 229 in 1983. His five straight Pro-Bowl appearances from 2001-05 tied him with Claude Humphrey (1970-74) and Mike Kenn (1980-84) as the only players in Falcons history to have made five consecutive Pro Bowls. Brooking was originally a first round draft choice (12th overall) by the Atlanta Falcons in 1998 and was part of the Falcons run to Super Bowl XXXIII as a rookie.

2009:
# Finished second on the team with 156 tackles and posted 3.0 sacks - tying for fourth on the team.
# In his first game with Dallas at Tampa Bay (9/13), finished second on the team with 11 tackles.
# Made his 150th career start at Denver (10/4) and finished second on the team with 11 tackles, which pushed him over 1,500 tackles for his career.
# Led the team with a season-high 18 tackles at Kansas City (10/11), which tied for the second-most of his career (22 in 2002). Also registered one sack, one tackle for loss, three pressures and one pass breakup.
# Recorded a team-best 12 tackles against Seattle (11/1) while adding his second sack of the season.
# Had his streak of 135 consecutive games started dating back to 2001 come to an end at Philadelphia (11/8) as the club opened the game in its nickel package. Finished the game second on the team with 13 tackles.
# Added his third sack of the season against Washington (11/22) while finishing second on the team with 10 tackles and adding three pressures.
# Led the team with 13 tackles and added two pressures against Oakland (11/26). Marked his fifth consecutive double-digit tackle game and eighth of the season.
# Finished second on the team with 10 tackles playing in his 175th career game at previously undefeated New Orleans (12/19).
# Helped the team clinch a playoff berth at Washington (12/27) with 11 tackles and a season-best three pass breakups as the defense forced a shutout for the first time since a 27-0 win at Washington (12/14/03).
# Defense forced back-to-back shutouts for the first time in team history as Dallas claimed its 17th NFC East Division title by defeating Philadelphia (1/3/10). Recorded two tackles.
# Led the team with a postseason career-best 16 tackles along with one pressure and two pass breakups in the Divisional Playoff loss at Minnesota (1/17/10).

2008 (Atlanta):
# Started all 16 contests and led the Falcons in tackles (133) for the eighth consecutive season while breaking up three passes.
# Had a team-high 12 tackles at Green Bay (10/5) in his 150th career game.
# Posted a team-high 10 tackles and one pass defensed at New Orleans (12/7).
# Tied a season-high with 12 tackles while making his 14th start of the season against Tampa Bay (12/14). Also registered two passes defensed.
# Started his 128th consecutive game at linebacker and posted 11 tackles against St. Louis (12/28).
# Started at middle linebacker for Atlanta's wild card match-up at Arizona (1/3/09) and finished with seven tackles (six solo) and deflected one pass.

2007 (Atlanta):
# Finished with 127 tackles (82 solo), two sacks, one fumble recovery and four passes defensed in 16 starts.
# Posted a team-high 11 tackles and one pass defensed at Jacksonville (9/16).
# Led the team with 10 tackles, including nine solo tackles, at New Orleans (10/21).
# Logged six tackles and one sack against San Francisco (11/4).
# Notched a team-high 10 tackles with one sack against Indianapolis (11/22).
# Had a season-high 15 tackles at Tampa Bay (12/16) for a defense that allowed a season-low 109 passing yards.

2006 (Atlanta):
# Started all 16 games for the sixth consecutive season and led the team with 165 tackles for the sixth year in a row. He added 2.5 sacks, one fumble recovery and one pass defensed.
# Led the team in tackles with 12 against Tampa Bay (9/17) in addition to assisting a defense that did not allow a touchdown for the second consecutive game.
# Collected a team-high 13 tackles along with a sack at Detroit (11/5).
# Tallied his fourth straight double-digit tackle game with 15 at Baltimore (11/19).
# Posted nine tackles and one sack against New Orleans (11/26).
# Led the team in tackles with a season-high 18 at Tampa Bay (12/10). The 18 tackles tied his second-highest single-game tackle total - at New Orleans 11/16/03.

2005 (Atlanta):
# Made his team-record tying fifth consecutive Pro Bowl appearance while finishing the season with a team-high 150 tackles in addition to establishing career-highs in interceptions (four) and passes defensed (10). Also recorded one fumble recovery and tied a career-high with 3.5 sacks.
# Recorded 12 tackles and his first sack of the season at Seattle (9/18).
# Posted eight tackles, one sack and one interception against Minnesota (10/2) in his 100th career game and became the first Falcons player to record a sack and interception in the same game since 2000 (St. Louis).
# Started his first game of the season at MLB in place of an injured Ed Hartwell (Achilles) at New Orleans (10/16) and led the linebacker corps with eight tackles while also posting his second interception of the season.
# Established a career-high with his fourth interception of the season at Tampa Bay (12/24) and tallied a team-high 12 tackles.
# Had a sack, one pass defensed and a team-high 10 tackles against Carolina (1/1/06) in the season finale.

2004 (Atlanta):
# Earned Pro Bowl honors for the fourth straight year after totaling a team-high 144 tackles. Also added 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and three interceptions as he led the team in tackles 10 times.
# Recorded a team-high 10 tackles along with one forced fumble at Carolina (10/3) in a defensive effort that limited the Panthers to 10 points.
# Registered 10 tackles and one interception against San Diego (10/17) as he helped limit LaDainian Tomlinson to 64 yards on 23 carries (2.8 avg.).
# Recorded nine tackles and his first sack since the 2001 season against Tampa Bay (11/14).
# Had two forced fumbles, one sack and a season-high 12 tackles against Carolina (12/18).

2003 (Atlanta):
# Named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl after registering a team-high 207 total tackles and a career-high 130 solo stops in 16 starts. Also posted two fumble recoveries.
# Posted a season-high 18 tackles at New Orleans (11/16), his second-highest total since he recorded 22 stops at Green Bay (9/8/02).
# Had 17 tackles a piece against the N.Y. Giants (11/9), at Tampa Bay (12/20) and against Jacksonville (12/28).

2002 (Atlanta):
# Earned his second straight Pro Bowl nod after leading the team with a career-high 212 tackles. Also added two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and one blocked field goal.
# Became the fifth Falcons player to total 200 tackles in a season, following linebackers Tommy Nobis (296 in 1966), Fulton Kuykendall (284 in 1978), Buddy Curry (229 in 1983) and Jessie Tuggle (201 in 1990, 207 in 1991).
# Established a career-high with 22 tackles at Green Bay (9/8). The 22 tackles were the most by a Falcons player since Tuggle had 22 against New Orleans on September 29, 1991.
# Named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts against New Orleans (11/17) when he collected 15 stops and one fumble recovery.
# Blocked his first-career field goal at Minnesota (12/1).

2001 (Atlanta):
# Started all 16 games for the first time in his career and did not miss a play on defense in 957 total snaps as he made the transition to middle linebacker. Led the team with 167 tackles in addition to registering two interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, nine passes defensed and 3.5 sacks.
# Became the first Pro Bowl player from the Falcons roster since 1998 when six players were voted to Hawaii.
# Registered 15 tackles and one sack in his middle linebacker debut at San Francisco (9/9).
# Named Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career at New Orleans (10/21) after recording 12 tackles, one sack and two passes defensed.
# Had a key interception against Dallas (11/11) to seal a 20-13 win with 0:16 remaining on Atlanta's 30-yard line.

2000 (Atlanta):
# Totaled 39 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble in five starts before suffering a sprained foot at Philadelphia (10/1). Placed on Reserve/Injured on Nov. 1.

1999 (Atlanta):
# Played and started 13 games, finishing fourth on the team with 95 tackles in addition to posting two sacks and two passes defensed.
# Made first career start against Minnesota (9/12) and tallied eight tackles.
# Recorded first career sack against Baltimore (10/3).

1998 (Atlanta):
# Played in 15 games and posted 32 tackles, one interception, two forced fumbles, and five passes defensed as he served as the team's nickel linebacker in passing situations throughout the season.
# Tallied eight tackles in the NFC Championship Game at Minnesota (1/17/99).

COLLEGE:

# Started 34 straight games to end his college career as he led the team in tackles during his final three seasons at Georgia Tech and became the leading tackler in school history with 467 career stops.
# Had two of the top tackle seasons in Georgia Tech history as a sophomore (146) and junior (147).
# Collected 131 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, three passes defensed, one fumble recovery and one blocked field goal to lead Tech to a Bowl game as a senior. Voted a permanent team captain by his teammates and a finalist for the Dick Butkus Award.
# Top tackler in the ACC in 1995 after averaging 13.3 stops-per-game and ranked second in the conference in 1996 with 13.4 tackles-per-game.
# Closed out collegiate career with 15 tackles and one interception to help the Yellow Jackets defeat West Virginia in the Carquest Bowl.

PERSONAL:

# Served as the team captain and co-team MVP at East Coweta High School in Senoia, Ga., totaling 250 tackles and 53 receptions for 622 yards with seven touchdowns in his career.
# Named to the prestigious Georgia Tech Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.
# He and his wife, Holly, have a daughter, Ella, and a son, Logan.

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