Pensacola’s Derrick Brooks continues to expand his impact in hometown

His business partners with the Tampa Bay Lightning playfully remind Derrick Brooks about the irony with his decorated career.

“I kinda went from playing football to hockey executive. They kid me, because I have two Stanley Cup Championship rings and only one Super Bowl ring,” said Brooks, laughing, as he presided earlier this week in a return to Pensacola for his Derrick Brooks Charities Golf Tournament at Pensacola Country Club.

In addition to his NFL related responsibilities, along with everything else in his life, Brooks is the Tampa Bay Lightning executive vice president for corporate and community development.  Since 2017, Brooks has been part of the Vinik Sports Group, founded by Lightning owner Jeff Vinik and designed to handled the team’s varied interests in the Tampa Bay area.

The Lightning have been a model franchise in the National Hockey League, winning back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021 and reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in 2022.

“Since we stopped with arena football, I switched over to all the corporate responsibilities with the Lightning,” said Brooks, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, who was team president of the Tampa Bay Storm in the Arena Football League until the franchise’s last season in 2017.

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“We renamed our group to Vinik Sports Group to encompass all the assets he has outside of the hockey team,” said Brooks, who rose from youth football in Pensacola to reaching the NFL’s highest mantle as one of the game’s greatest linebackers.

“I am in charge with our community and business affairs with that. And a lot of revenue and strategic planning that goes behind the scenes. It’s all about keeping our brand forward facing.”

Brooks, who grew up in Pensacola and went from prep stardom at Booker T. Washington High to collegiate All-American and national champion at Florida State, then his entire NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, frequently returns to his hometown where he has family and relatives in the community.

In addition to the golf tournament held earlier this week, he’ll be back on August 26 at Blue Wahoos Stadium for the Derrick Brooks Bobblehead Night during the Blue Wahoos game against the Montgomery Biscuits.

He joined the Blue Wahoos ownership team in 2018, led by Quint and Rishy Studer, He followed pro golf star Bubba Watson, who joined in 2016, as a franchise investor.

Though he lives in Tampa, Brooks has kept an impact in Pensacola. Proceeds from the golf tournament went to help Brooks’ varied endeavors in the Pensacola area.

“When I think about this community, it’s family. That is what it means to me,” Brooks said. “I only have one hometown. And that is Pensacola.

“I always just want to find ways to support Pensacola. It really began with our flag football program (NFL Flag Pensacola) and that has become a staple in terms of what has attracted youth and we want to build off that success.

“Now we have the golf tournament here. And so now we have an opportunity and a mechanism to raise funds to support the programs I want to bring here.

”Whether it’s been my involvement in these kinds of programs, or my involvement with Quint in the Blue Wahoos and now I’m getting Bubba more involved with me in our community effort. I want to stay connected here in every way possible.”

His golf tournament returned for a second year at Pensacola Country Club, where Brooks has membership. He arranged for an impressive group of celebrity players, led by former Major League Baseball stars Gary Sheffield and Fred McGriff, both of whom have Hall of Fame consideration.

He also brought former baseball star Tino Martinez, former boxing champions Antonio Tarver and Winky Wright, along with former Bucs’ teammate, now ESPN analyst Booger McFarland, along with Reidel Anthony, Corey Ivy, Jeff Gooch, Joe Cribbs. They joined Pensacola residents and former NFL players Dominic Hixon, Kevin Knox, plus other area residents with collegiate and pro football ties.

The tournament was a selection-shot format. Participants were treated to breakfast and lunch, along with a post-round awards ceremony in the PCC clubhouse.

“Year two for our tournament has been great,” Brooks said. “I look at it this way, everyone who participated last year returned to be part of this year’s tournament. And for me, that is a great sign and a step in the right direction.

And that is what we want to continue to do is having a solid group of supporters and just add to it. Hopefully that solid group of supporters continues to spread the word and that is what they have done.

“I expect a really big jump in year three. We are just going to keep taking one step at a time and do what it takes to build this event. “

Last weekend, Brooks returned to Canton, Ohio for the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies. He was able to visit with a fellow FSU alum, LeRoy Butler, who was a star safety for the Seminoles from 1988-89 before moving on to a decorated career with he Green Bay Packers.

Butler played the lead role in the team’s famous trick play, “Puntrooskie” that led to a 1988 win at Clemson and saved the Seminoles season.

“The Hall of Fame ceremony is always powerful and to see a fellow Seminole get in. To see Leroy get in was extremely humbling. As he said then, the wait is all worth it. You don’t think about the wait once you are in.

“So to see him, Bryant Young, Dick Vermeil, Richard Seymour, those guys get in, I am excited.”

During his time in Canton, Brooks was able to visit with fellow Pensacola native and Hall of Fame member Emmitt Smith.

“Emmitt and I spent a lot of time together,” said Brooks, who also works directly with the NFL commissioner’s office to handle player discipline issues. “I am excited to work with him, too. I know Emmitt has some things planned here in Pensacola. We are a tight night group.

“We have a lot of things on the horizon and I just want to continue to build it one step at a time.”

Bill Vilona is a retired Pensacola News Journal sports columnist and now senior writer for Pensacola Blue Wahoos. He can be reached at bvilona@bluewahoos.com.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola’s Derrick Brooks continues to expand his impact in hometown