A college-themed 2003 Brooks' Bunch trip through four cities included a visit to Julliard
Linebacker Derrick Brooks has received another well-deserved honor in recognition of his work in the Tampa Bay community. BET have named Brooks one of six History Makers in the Making. The program celebrates Black History Month by saluting African-Americans who make significant contributions to their communities.
History Makers honors the award recipients with features on BET and BET.com throughout the month of February. A private awards ceremony, which Brooks plans to attend, is scheduled for February 28th in Detroit.
The cornerstone of Brooks' extensive community work is his long-running "Brooks' Bunch" program. The program has received national recognition due to its annual ambitious trips to such locations as Africa, Washington, D.C. and the American West. The group will make a second trip to Africa this summer.
"I am honored to be recognized for this award," said Brooks. "This award is the result of hard work by a lot of other people besides myself. The kids in the program are actually the ones making history. I'm just a part of it."
The History Makers program salutes African-Americans in the fields of education, medicine, social services, government, entertainment, business and sports. In addition to Brooks, this year's history makers include Ella M. Bully-Cummings, Chief of Police in Detroit; Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, author and professor; Roderick D. Gillum, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility and Diversity, General Motors Foundation; Iyanla Vanzant, best-selling author and motivational speaker; Phill Wilson, Founder and Executive Director of the Black AIDS Institute.
"I want to congratulate the other winners, and I look forward to meeting them at the awards ceremony in Detroit," said Brooks.
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Clayton Doubles Up as MVP
Wide receiver Michael Clayton will be named the Buccaneers 2004 Most Valuable Player, as chosen by fan vote, at the 44th Annual Tampa Sports Club Banquet on Friday night.
At the end of the 2004 season, Clayton was also chosen as the team MVP by a vote of sportswriters who cover the Buccaneers. Clayton is the first player to win both awards since Derrick Brooks did so in 1998 and 1999 (Brooks split the Tampa Sports Club award with Warren Sapp in '99).
In addition to receiving his award on Friday night, Clayton will be in the running for the overall sports MVP sports in Tampa, vying with the selections from such teams as the MLB's Devil Rays and the NHL's Lightning.
Clayton is the first rookie to win the fans' MVP vote since RB Errict Rhett in 1994. He turned in one of the finest rookie seasons by a receiver in NFL history and set a slew of Buccaneer rookie records with 80 receptions for 1,194 yards and seven touchdowns.
