TicketsCINCINNATI – After going 13-1 and earning a spot in the 4-team College Football Playoff last season, Cincinnati had a school-record eight players invited to the NFL scouting combine.
It should have been nine, according to head coach Luke Fickell, who thought that defensive tackle Curtis Brooks deserved an invitation.
"It's hard to be disappointed when you have eight guys going to the combine, but that was one of the things that I was disappointed about," said Fickell.
Brooks admits that the combine snub stung.
"It was heartbreaking," he said. "It just felt disrespectful honestly. When you look at the list of guys that did get invited, it's just like, 'How?'"
But three weeks after the combine, Brooks took advantage of the opportunity to work out in front of nearly 100 scouts, GMs, or coaches at UC's annual Pro Day. His 40-yard dash, broad jump, bench press, and short shuttle time would have ranked among the top five defensive tackles at the combine, and his 35 ½ inch vertical jump would have been 2 ½ inches better than any other player at the position.
"As the Pro Day was ending, I had several guys come up to me and say, 'Tell me more about this Curtis Brooks. I didn't really have him on my list of guys,'" said Fickell. "I told them that he would have been my MVP on our defense last year."
In his first season as a full-time starter, Brooks earned first team All-AAC honors as he led the Bearcats in sacks with 7 ½ and tackles-for-loss with 12 ½. Last season Pro Football Focus gave him the highest pass rushing grade of any interior lineman in college football.
"He always had ability, but I think he really dedicated himself to his body and changing some specific things," said Fickell. "I think that helped him stay healthy which obviously you have to do during the season. And then there's what he did as a leader. We had a lot of different personalities in that (defensive line) room and he took it upon himself to be a leader. I'm not saying that's what made him a better player, but I am hoping it made him enjoy it that much more in realizing what other talents he had."
Brooks gives much of the credit for his improvement to strength and conditioning coach Brady Collins.
"I believe that Coach Brady is the 'secret sauce' if you will for everybody," he said. "He changes your body and your mindset and you just grow within his program."
Last season was Brooks' sixth year at UC as he took advantage of an extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA as the result of the coronavirus pandemic.
"I look back at where I was when I was 18 years old and I never could have seen it going this way," said Brooks. "Since Coach Fick walked in the building the whole thing has been special. And this is like the cherry on top."
In his freshman year, Tommy Tuberville was Cincinnati's head coach and Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was on UC's staff.
"Obviously I was on the offensive side of the ball and I was only there for nine months, so I won't pretend that I knew all of the defensive guys as well as I would have if I would have been there a little bit longer, but he was highly thought of coming out of Virginia and he had a great career for those guys and helped them win a lot of games," said Taylor.
Brooks is slightly undersized for an NFL defensive tackle at 287 pounds, and is also among the older prospects in the draft at 24-years-old. As a result, many of the draft publications list him as a priority free agent.
But in his most recent mock draft, The Athletic's Dane Brugler had Kansas City selecting Brooks in the seventh round.
"No matter what happens in the draft, I know that I'll be on an NFL roster," said Brooks. "That's just the confidence that I have in myself. I really believe that I can help a team win."
Brooks took part in the Bengals' annual workout for local prospects on Tuesday and says that he's met with the Chargers, Texans, Ravens and Steelers with a trip to Washington scheduled as well.
Fickell says that whatever team drafts or signs Brooks will be getting a smart and versatile player.
"He's very explosive and very intelligent," said Fickell. "He was one of the few guys up front that we could ask to play different positions. Sometimes that was a harder thing on him because we would ask him to move around week in and week out. He's one of those guys that has great instincts, but he has the intelligence to grow even more and be able to recognize things that I'm not sure that all defensive lineman do."
Curtis is hoping to be one of as many as nine Bearcats selected in next week's draft.
"To be drafted would be a blessing, but whatever happens, I am going to go into it with a positive attitude," said Brooks. "It might add a little fuel to the fire if I do go undrafted, but it will all work out."
It should have been nine, according to head coach Luke Fickell, who thought that defensive tackle Curtis Brooks deserved an invitation.
"It's hard to be disappointed when you have eight guys going to the combine, but that was one of the things that I was disappointed about," said Fickell.
Brooks admits that the combine snub stung.
"It was heartbreaking," he said. "It just felt disrespectful honestly. When you look at the list of guys that did get invited, it's just like, 'How?'"
But three weeks after the combine, Brooks took advantage of the opportunity to work out in front of nearly 100 scouts, GMs, or coaches at UC's annual Pro Day. His 40-yard dash, broad jump, bench press, and short shuttle time would have ranked among the top five defensive tackles at the combine, and his 35 ½ inch vertical jump would have been 2 ½ inches better than any other player at the position.
"As the Pro Day was ending, I had several guys come up to me and say, 'Tell me more about this Curtis Brooks. I didn't really have him on my list of guys,'" said Fickell. "I told them that he would have been my MVP on our defense last year."
In his first season as a full-time starter, Brooks earned first team All-AAC honors as he led the Bearcats in sacks with 7 ½ and tackles-for-loss with 12 ½. Last season Pro Football Focus gave him the highest pass rushing grade of any interior lineman in college football.
"He always had ability, but I think he really dedicated himself to his body and changing some specific things," said Fickell. "I think that helped him stay healthy which obviously you have to do during the season. And then there's what he did as a leader. We had a lot of different personalities in that (defensive line) room and he took it upon himself to be a leader. I'm not saying that's what made him a better player, but I am hoping it made him enjoy it that much more in realizing what other talents he had."
Brooks gives much of the credit for his improvement to strength and conditioning coach Brady Collins.
"I believe that Coach Brady is the 'secret sauce' if you will for everybody," he said. "He changes your body and your mindset and you just grow within his program."
Last season was Brooks' sixth year at UC as he took advantage of an extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA as the result of the coronavirus pandemic.
"I look back at where I was when I was 18 years old and I never could have seen it going this way," said Brooks. "Since Coach Fick walked in the building the whole thing has been special. And this is like the cherry on top."
In his freshman year, Tommy Tuberville was Cincinnati's head coach and Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was on UC's staff.
"Obviously I was on the offensive side of the ball and I was only there for nine months, so I won't pretend that I knew all of the defensive guys as well as I would have if I would have been there a little bit longer, but he was highly thought of coming out of Virginia and he had a great career for those guys and helped them win a lot of games," said Taylor.
Brooks is slightly undersized for an NFL defensive tackle at 287 pounds, and is also among the older prospects in the draft at 24-years-old. As a result, many of the draft publications list him as a priority free agent.
But in his most recent mock draft, The Athletic's Dane Brugler had Kansas City selecting Brooks in the seventh round.
"No matter what happens in the draft, I know that I'll be on an NFL roster," said Brooks. "That's just the confidence that I have in myself. I really believe that I can help a team win."
Brooks took part in the Bengals' annual workout for local prospects on Tuesday and says that he's met with the Chargers, Texans, Ravens and Steelers with a trip to Washington scheduled as well.
Fickell says that whatever team drafts or signs Brooks will be getting a smart and versatile player.
"He's very explosive and very intelligent," said Fickell. "He was one of the few guys up front that we could ask to play different positions. Sometimes that was a harder thing on him because we would ask him to move around week in and week out. He's one of those guys that has great instincts, but he has the intelligence to grow even more and be able to recognize things that I'm not sure that all defensive lineman do."
Curtis is hoping to be one of as many as nine Bearcats selected in next week's draft.
"To be drafted would be a blessing, but whatever happens, I am going to go into it with a positive attitude," said Brooks. "It might add a little fuel to the fire if I do go undrafted, but it will all work out."