If you were Aaron Brooks in the winter of 2003, you were a happy guy.You were one of the NFL's brightest stars -- at 27, you had been a four-year starter with a playoff win and 11 fourth-quarter comebacks.
Here were your career numbers, courtesy of pro-football-reference.com:
Year TM | G | Comp Att PCT YD Y/A TD INT
+----------+-----+--------------------------------------
| 2000 nor | 8 | 113 194 58.2 1514 7.8 9 6
| 2001 nor | 16 | 312 558 55.9 3832 6.9 26 22
| 2002 nor | 16 | 283 528 53.6 3572 6.8 27 15
| 2003 nor | 16 | 306 518 59.1 3546 6.8 24 8
And just three years later, the guy is borderline unemployable. He was cut by the Raiders Thursday, and while he'll probably find a No. 2 job again somewhere he could well never see the field again.
Brooks never seemed as good as his numbers, probably because he didn't appear to give a shit. Maybe he just didn't project his emotions well, but every time I saw him play I had the same vibe: LOSER.
And going 3-13 in 2005 with NO and 0-9 with Oakland in 2006 confirmed that. I think he's a guy like Jeff George, who had all of the tools but not enough heart.
I'd be happy enough to be proven wrong about Brooks some day -- he's a nice man who helps children and charities -- but somehow I doubt it will happen.
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