REGINA -- Saskatchewan Roughriders' defensive back Antoine Brooks Jr. appears to have a knack for making the most of his opportunities.
While the second-year veteran has played only six games with the Green and White, he’s found himself all over the field whenever the Riders have dealt with injuries. Playing cornerback, jumping in as a back-up weak-side linebacker and -- as was the case on Friday against the Ottawa Redblacks -- starting at strong-side linebacker.
That takes a lot of hard work and dedication, especially when you’re not a regular member of the defence with Brooks Jr. having spent the majority of the season on Saskatchewan's practice roster. But all the work paid off against the Redblacks, when he hauled in an interception on the first play of the second quarter and went all the way to the house for an 85-yard touchdown.
The major was the first of his career and ended up as an important score as Saskatchewan went on to their seven-point 20-13 victory. It’s been and up-and-down ride for the former Maryland Terrapins standout, but proof positive that dedication to learning the game and improving as a player can lead to big things.
“Me talking to Coach J.B. [Joshua Bell] and asking my big brothers all the questions in their spots,” Brooks Jr. said when asked on the Rider Broadcast Network post-game show about how he got to this point.
“That's what really helped me. I ask Rolan Milligan Jr. all the time what he’s doing, even when I'm not playing. I can ask [Marcus] Sayles how he’s feeling, about that play or this team and how he feels. That's really how all the playbook and stuff got installed in my head, asking my big brothers what they’re doing, what they think.”
After playing only three games prior to the Week 15 match-up against Montreal, Brooks Jr. has been a mainstay on defence since. All told, he has nine tackles on the season, seven on special teams, to go along with two interceptions. Asked how he’s stayed prepared despite being in and out of the line-up, Brooks Jr. reiterated relying on his teammates while also doing all he can to stay level-headed and focused for when the time comes.
“This is never a sprint, football is always a marathon,” he said. “I always talk to my brothers to make sure I remind myself that, even though you can get flustered and frustrated from not playing, they are so good at football and they're professionals, so you have to wait your time sometimes."
“I'm in a whole other league [compared to his time in the NFL] and I want to be able to show that I can be grown up and be an adult about everything that happens. It's always no better thing than that.”
That message is something Brooks Jr. hopes will resonate with fans, especially youngsters watching the game and seeing him show up in big moments.
“You don't need to be perfect to go make it and be successful,” he said. “You can be a superhero even when your time is not now. Like Robin, his time wasn’t to be a superhero, he had to wait behind Batman and then he got to shine next. Now everybody knows Robin.”
Brooks Jr. and the Roughriders are back in action on Friday night when the Green and White host the Toronto Argonauts with kickoff at 7 p.m. from Mosaic Stadium. You can catch all the action on the 620 CKRM Rider Broadcast Network.
