'Forever grateful to be a VFL': Will Brooks says goodbye to Tennessee Football
Will Brooks said goodbye to the Tennessee Football program in a post on social media Sunday night, thanking the Vols for the last five years, during which he went from a walk-on safety to a full-time starter in the secondary.
“Thank you Tennessee for an incredible 5 years,” Brooks wrote. “This journey I have been on has been unforgettable. The friendships and memories I have made will stay with me for a lifetime. Thanks to my family, friends, coaches, and teammates for believing in me. Forever grateful to be a VFL.”
The 6-foot-1, 206-pound Brooks, a redshirt senior from Birmingham, Ala., finished the season with career-high 59 tackles, second most on Tennessee’s defense, and had four interceptions, tied with corner Jermod McCoy for most on the team.
Thank you Tennessee for an incredible 5 years. This journey I have been on has been unforgettable. The friendships and memories I have made will stay with me for a lifetime. Thanks to my family, friends, coaches, and teammates for believing in me. Forever grateful to be a VFL pic.twitter.com/hCkYfQKJX1
— Will Brooks (@willbrooks27) January 5, 2025
Brooks took an interception back 85 yards for a touchdown in Tennessee’s 51-10 win over North Carolina State in the Duke’s Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
He intercepted Alabama’s Jalen Milroe to seal a 24-17 win over the Crimson Tide in the Third Saturday in October Rivalry game at Neyland Stadium in October and had another pick two weeks later against Kentucky.
Brooks intercepted Ohio State’s Will Howard in the end zone in the College Football Playoff first round game at Ohio Stadium on December 21, in his final game in a Tennessee uniform.
Will Brooks picked off four passes in Tennessee’s new-look secondary
He had 35 solo tackles on the season and 24 assists on the season. He deflected five passes and forced one fumble. He had 18 tackles in 10 games as a junior in 2023 and five tackles as a sophomore in 2022. He appeared in 13 games as a freshman in 2021.
Top 10
- 1
Steve Spurrier
Advising change for CFP selection
- 2Hot
Cotton Bowl weather threat
Statement on pending snow
- 3
Paul Finebaum
In loss, Georgia became new Alabama
- 4
Texas AD blasts rumors
Sarkisian, NFL links draw response
- 5Trending
Kirk Herbstreit interview
ESPN analyst joins Andy & Ari On3
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
This season Brooks was part of a new-look secondary, playing safety alongside Andre Turrentine while McCoy and Rickey Gibson held down the corners. Christian Harrison and Boo Carter split time at the Star position, giving the Vols a new starter at every position in the defensive backfield this season.
“Will can play every position on the back end,” Tennessee defensive backs coach Willie Martinez said at the Knoxville Quarterback Club in November. “And what’s so important about that, because of what I said earlier about versatility and athleticism — it spreads within the room.”
The versatility for Books was just as much mental as it was physical. He could coach up his teammates on the fly because of his knowledge of the entire secondary.
“Will can actually tell a corner what the check is and tell him what to do,” Martinez said. “In that moment, man, you talk about an advantage … not that the corner doesn’t know. (Brooks) just sees the whole picture from the middle of the defense like a quarterback. He has to be that guy.”
