James Brooks
Teams
San Diego Chargers (1981-1983)
Cincinnati Bengals (1984-1991)
Cleveland Browns (1992)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1992)
Playoffs
Appearances - 4 (1981,1982,1988,1990)
Conf Champ Games - 2 (1981,1988)
Super Bowls - 1 (1988)
Championships - 0
Awards and Honors
Pro Bowl - 4 (1986,1988,1989,1990)
All-Time Ranks
Yards per Rush - #24
Rushing Yards - #56
Total Touchdowns - #72
Scrimmage Yards - #76
Rushing Touchdowns - #88
Yards per Touch - #96
League Leads
Rushing Yards (#7-1989, #8-1986,1990)
Rushing Touchdowns (#8-1982, #10-1989)
Yards per Rush (#1-1986, #2-1988,1989, #3-1982,1990, #5-1981, #8-1985)
Rushing Yards per Game (#8-1989, #10-1986,1990)
Total Touchdowns (#4-1988, #7-1985)
Scrimmage Yards (#3-1986, #5-1989, #10-1990)
Yards per Touch (#2-1986, #3-1988, #5-1985,1989, #9-1981,1990)
As a junior at Auburn, James Brooks averaged 7.4 yards per carry, then piled up 1314 rushing yards as a senior, after which he was drafted #24 overall in the 1981 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers.
He played his first 3 seasons in San Diego, serving mostly as a backup to Chuck Muncie on offense, but making a name for himself returning kicks. In both 1981 and 1982, he led the league in all-purpose yards, and in 1982 he also had the most kick return yards of any player. After his third season, he was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals, where he would have a chance to start.
His breakthrough started in 1985, when he gained 929 yards and scored 7 touchdowns on the ground, while also picking up 576 yards receiving with another 5 touchdowns. He had his best season in 1986, when he had 1087 yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground, led the league with 5.3 yards per carry, and had a career-high 686 yards receiving, putting him at 1773 scrimmage yards, good for 3rd place in the league.
He missed half of the 1987 season with injuries, and was obviously hampered when he did play, but he was back at full health in 1988, scoring a career-high 8 touchdowns while gaining 5.1 yards per carry, and earning a second Pro Bowl berth. He also helped the Bengals reach the Super Bowl, gaining 56 yards in the contest, but Cincinnati lost to San Francisco 20-16.
In 1989, he topped his previous career highs when he gained 1239 rushing yards on 5.6 yards per rush, and he had 1545 scrimmage yards, #5 in the league for the year. His 1990 season was nearly as good, with 1004 yards on 5.1 yards per carry, but in 1991 he began to be used less and less as the season wore on, and at the end of the year, he was traded to the Browns.
He played in only 4 games for the Browns and gained only 38 yards before being traded to Tampa Bay, then was injured in his second game with the Bucs, and decided to retire rather than attempt a return from the injury at 34 years of age.
Brooks was not recognized as a great back during his career, and still is forgotten my most fans. He is #24 all-time in yards per carry, led the league once in that category and finishing in the top 5 six different times. He is #41 in all-purpose yards, including 2 seasons leading the league. He may not be a household name, but he was one of the greatest of all time.
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