Face of the linebacker position changing?

Sources have notified the TFY Draft Preview that Virginia middle linebacker Ahmad Brooks has been dismissed from the Cavalier football program. Brooks is likely to try an enter April's draft as a special exception case or could apply for July's supplemental draft if he is not reinstated by the school. While saying Books status with the team has not changed, school officials did not confirm or deny the story.

The decision to dismiss Brooks from the program was the result of a recent off-field incident.

After numerous injuries which included major knee surgery in the off-season then ankle problems during the '05 campaign, Brooks eventually played six games and finished with only 27 tackles and a sack.

During our underclassmen watch we noted NFL scouts said entering the draft would not be in Brooks best interest. At one point tipping the scale near 280-pounds, he must now overcome character and durability issues in quick fashion if his application is accepted for April's draft.

Two scouts we briefly spoke with stated if Brooks is unable to return to Virginia, July's supplemental draft is a better situation for him as opposed to April's selection process, where he'd be a late round selection at best.

http://nfldraft.scout.com/2/500451.html

Official word on Ahmad Brooks


Virginia dismisses three potential starters on defense

Virginia Coach Al Groh dismissed linebacker Ahmad Brooks, defensive end Vince Redd and cornerback Tony Franklin from the team on Tuesday.

"It's best for us and the players to move on from these circumstances," Groh said at a news conference in Charlottesville, one day before the Cavaliers begin spring practice.

All three players were potential starters on defense, but Groh said the losses will not affect Virginia's outlook this season.

Franklin, a senior who was expected to start at safety, was arrested for marijuana possession on Dec. 4. Franklin and Redd, a junior and possible starter at defensive end, were among the Cavaliers suspended for violating team rules last season.

"It really doesn't change our prospectus when you consider two of the three players weren't even a part of what the team was able to do in Nashville [at the Music City Bowl]," Groh said. "It's essential internally that we have the discipline to do things the right way and not just chase talent for talent's sake. That's what we're doing."

Brooks, a senior, led Virginia in tackles as a freshman and sophomore but played in only six games during an injury-riddled 2005. As a sophomore, Brooks was All-ACC and a Butkus Award finalist. But he ballooned to 270 pounds as he struggled to recover from knee and ankle injuries last year.

In January, Brooks announced he would not enter the NFL draft. Now, transfering to a lower-division school or entering the NFL's supplemental draft are options. Brooks, once viewed as a first-round prospect, chose to return in large part, however, because his stock had slipped.

"It is a privelege and not a right to wear a Cavaliers jersey and to represent our university and community," Groh said. "There are certain things that are vital and those things come into sharper focus and are multiplied when you're rebuilding, as we are. That's focus, commitment and dependability."

More on Ahmad Brooks


Brooks faces uncertain path to NFL

Some 15 months ago, Ahmad Brooks had a chance to make a decision that could've earned him millions of dollars. Brooks had just finished his sophomore season at Virginia. He wowed college football observers, making 90 tackles to lead the Cavaliers for the second consecutive year.

He was a first-team all-ACC selection, a Sporting News first-team All-American, a finalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's best linebacker. He was 20 years old, with loads of potential at his disposal and, many figured, a bright NFL future.

Brooks could've decided in January 2005 to leave school early for the NFL.

He was out of high school for the NFL-required three years, because he attended Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham after graduating from C.D. Hylton High in Woodbridge. But he chose to stay at U.Va.

Now, as Brooks prepares to start his pro career, he faces a much more uncertain path than he did 15 months ago. There are doubts about his commitment level and physical condition. Brooks, who would've been a senior for the Cavaliers this fall, was one of three players kicked off the team for unspecified reasons by coach Al Groh before spring practices.

Though Brooks has two years of eligibility remaining (he has not redshirted), an NFL source with knowledge of the situation said Brooks likely would apply for the NFL's supplemental draft, usually held in July or August. Brooks could not be reached for comment. His parents, Perry and Vergie Brooks, have not returned multiple telephone messages.

The supplemental draft is a route sometimes taken by players in situations such as Brooks'. The deadline was Jan. 15 for underclassmen to apply for the regular draft, held April 29-30. Brooks announced Jan. 14 that he'd return to U.Va.

"There's still a lot of interest (by NFL teams) on Ahmad's part due to his natural athleticism," said the NFL source, who expects some team to take a "risk" on Brooks. "The only question NFL teams would have is on his character, his work ethic and his passion for the game. ... He has a very, very long road ahead of him."

At his best, Brooks possesses an impressive mix of size and speed. He was listed last season at 6-foot-4 and 249 pounds. He has said he's run the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds. Once one of the nation's fastest linebackers, he returned two kickoffs - one for 40 yards - in 2004.

At his worst, Brooks gave Groh enough reasons to live without his talent. "No one would just dismiss a player from a team for just one incident," the NFL source said. "For coach Groh to make such a harsh decision, it had to come from a lot of different events.

"There's gonna be a lot of background checks on him."

Groh, a linebackers coach by trade, was excited about Brooks, even before his debut in fall 2003. During an April '03 spring practice, Brooks made several outstanding tackles. "A lot of people wanted to find out about this Brooks guy," Groh said then, "and I think he gave them a pretty good preview to what his future's going to look like."

In June 2003, Brooks was charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession. He received six months probation, and the charge was later dropped. Groh said in August '03 that he handled the matter internally, refusing to elaborate.

In August '04, Brooks missed two practices to deal with "personal issues," as Groh called them. Brooks spent the '04 preseason and the first game that season as a backup to Rich Bedesem, a less talented player, for reasons Groh refused to disclose. One former U.Va. defensive starter said Brooks always seemed to be dealing with a personal issue, but Groh kept the issues private.

Late in February '05, Brooks felt discomfort in his right knee. The source of his discomfort was a cyst behind his knee. The cyst was surgically removed last March. He missed last season's first three games while recovering. In his first game back, he sprained his left ankle and missed the next game. After returning for five games, he missed the regular-season finale and the Music City Bowl because of a sore back.

When Groh announced Brooks' dismissal, he cited "focus, commitment and dependability" as things vital to building a team, indicating that the dismissed players - the others were safety Tony Franklin and defensive end Vince Redd - lacked those qualities.

Asked specifically about Brooks, Groh said: "It's a partnership with what you do with every player. ... When it doesn't turn out the way you want with any particular player, it's a little bit disappointing."

Said the NFL source: "The NFL front-office personnel is gonna ask themselves, 'If he can't comply with a stringent, professional, rigorous schedule that Al Groh has for his team, then how do we expect him to comply with our rules that we have at this level?' "

Brooks raises a red flag because he couldn't fulfill his potential in a linebacker-friendly system, the source said. Brooks' physical condition also is an issue. He played just six games last season and participated in just three weeks of U.Va.'s offseason workouts, according to a current player. "So he can't be in shape," the source said.

Brooks' first step toward the NFL involves filing an application for the supplemental draft. The NFL also must receive a letter from Virginia, stating why Brooks was dismissed. If Brooks' application is denied by the league, he must enter the regular draft in 2007 and can't play in the NFL until that season. The league won't plan the supplemental draft until after this month's regular draft. The supplemental draft has the same drafting order as the regular draft. But teams don't have to make selections in the supplemental. If a team picks Brooks in, say, the fifth round of the supplemental, it must surrender a fifth-round pick in the '07 regular draft. And supplemental draft picks don't get hefty signing bonuses like regular draft selections.

Before the supplemental draft, Brooks would work out for NFL scouts and try to make himself "presentable," physically and otherwise, the NFL source said.

"A lot of proving left to do," the source said. "Reliability, consistency, work ethic. If he's in shape, if he can keep up."
http://www.dailypress.com/sports/dp-00875sy0apr09,0,4375623.story?coll=dp-sports-local

What the hell? [smilie=anxious.gif]

Nice findings, H1.