DMN Blog: Keith Brooking isn't looking to be a leader

[WoodysGirl]

8:00 AM Tue, Mar 03, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
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Ray Lewis pumped up his leadership ability during his unsuccessful public sales pitch to Jerry Jones.

Keith Brooking, the inside linebacker the Cowboys signed to a much smaller deal than what Lewis wants, was considered a vocal captain in Atlanta. But Brooking said the Cowboys have "plenty of leaders" and has no intention of anointing himself as one when he arrives at Valley Ranch.

"There's no pressure to establish myself in any kind of way as a leader," said Brooking, a five-time Pro Bowler in the twilight of his career. "I'm just going to let it take its natural course. I think the guys will see that I come to work every day, roll up my sleeves, and football is very important to me. It's very high up on my priority list. I have a tremendous amount of passion for the game in everything I do.

"I think once I get there and they see how much I work and the respect I have for the game, they'll appreciate that. But whatever happens, happens."
Seven-time Pro Bowl LB Zach Thomas took last season, when he deferred to Bradie James, one of the Cowboys' league-record eight captains.

James, who tried to warn his teammates about letting egos get in the way, might be a pretty good leader if anyone actually listened to him.

 

[AKATheRake]

Nobody is hearing Bradie out huh? As atrocious as the week 17 game against the Eagles was, other than Witten I think Bradie was in war form. He looked wound up and got after McNabb the few times we could. He was really coming on at the end of the season. He's really changing my mind about his play. Hopefully the others see it and will listen better because of it. I hear he's one of the hardest workers we got.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Hmmm...that doesn't sound like to me he's saying he doesn't want to be leader just that he knows he doesn't need to talk about it. He's going to go in, come to work, work hard, and lead by example is what I get from that.

 

[Doomsday101]

Hmmm...that doesn't sound like to me he's saying he doesn't want to be leader just that he knows he doesn't need to talk about it. He's going to go in, come to work, work hard, and lead by example is what I get from that.

It is called earning it which I have said over and over, Leadership is earned on a team by your action and your play. If you are blowing assignments or missing tackles do you think any amount of ranting and raving will make that player a leader? Brooking has to earn the respect from his teammates with action being at meeting on time by putting in honest hard work during practice and then taking it to the field every sunday. him being a vocal and passionate guy is natural for him but you earn leadership through earning respect from those in the club house and it does not matter what you did some where else with a different group of players.

 

[ddh33]

Frankly, I still think that is the best kind of leadership.

Unfortunately, fans think you have to yell, scream, and make a show in front of the cameras. The ironic thing is that when any player does do that, he immediately gets ripped for all of his flaws.

 

[TheCount]

Wow, we have 8 team captains? That's a little crazy. Whatever happened to one on offense, one on defense and one on special teams?

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Nobody is hearing Bradie out huh? As atrocious as the week 17 game against the Eagles was, other than Witten I think Bradie was in war form. He looked wound up and got after McNabb the few times we could. He was really coming on at the end of the season. He's really changing my mind about his play. Hopefully the others see it and will listen better because of it. I hear he's one of the hardest workers we got.

I questioned Bradie's leadership ability early on, but in the second half of the season, particularly the Eagles thumping, he showed he was a true and great leader, IMO.

I get sick and tired of hearing how Randy Moss is a 'leader' with the Patriots. Real leaders step up and lead when things are going bad. Moss quit on his team when he played with Oakland and Minny. Here's Bradie still showing a ton of heart, leading the troops, in a game where Dallas is getting killed (and none of it was his fault either).

That's a leader.

The problem, IMO, is that you need to have VOCAL leaders in football and you need more than just one guy. In fact, I think you probably need at least two VOCAL leaders on each side of the ball in football. Football is a LOUD and VIOLENT game that requires an attitude and intensity. There's nothing wrong with having a 'silent' leader, but I believe inevitably the vocal leaders are the ones that get the job done in football. Can't say that for baseball or basketball. Doesn't make those sports any lesser of a sport, it's just the way football is.

So the problem really isn't Bradie at all. It's the fact that we really don't have any other vocal leaders on the team. There is no Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Witten and Colombo tend to be vocal, but then tend to go back and be 'silent leaders.' Love DeMarcus Ware...but he's not a vocal leader.

I can see why Brooking doesn't want to step on Bradie's toes, but personally I'd rather the Cowboys get a vocal leader in the secondary than another vocal leader at ILB.




YAKUZA

 

[wileedog]

Anyone else having Zach Thomas flashbacks?

 

[montgod]

Anyone else having Zach Thomas flashbacks?

My thoughts exactly as well as when Brad pretty much said the same thing when he signed too.

Oh well... we don't need... or I should say... don't want leaders when JJ is the owner.

"Wade ... Keep quiet, I don't care if you are the head coach... shut it up!!"

 

[EPL0c0]

Good thing Brooking isn't coming here to be a leader... he'll fit right in!

 

[BehindEnemyLinez]

I think when Bradie was quoted as saying "they do not need any more egos in the locker room", he was referring to the possibility of Ray coming in. IMO he's taking the so-called "need for leadership" personally, and is taking it as some are questioning his role. James is fiery and has performed well so I don't know why (and if) he's being tuned out in the locker room but that needs to change. 56, 94, & 41 should be the unquestioned leaders for the defense and hopefully they'll fulfill that role next season.

 

[DallasEast]

8:00 AM Tue, Mar 03, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
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Ray Lewis pumped up his leadership ability during his unsuccessful public sales pitch to Jerry Jones.

Keith Brooking, the inside linebacker the Cowboys signed to a much smaller deal than what Lewis wants, was considered a vocal captain in Atlanta. But Brooking said the Cowboys have "plenty of leaders" and has no intention of anointing himself as one when he arrives at Valley Ranch.

"There's no pressure to establish myself in any kind of way as a leader," said Brooking, a five-time Pro Bowler in the twilight of his career. "I'm just going to let it take its natural course. I think the guys will see that I come to work every day, roll up my sleeves, and football is very important to me. It's very high up on my priority list. I have a tremendous amount of passion for the game in everything I do.

"I think once I get there and they see how much I work and the respect I have for the game, they'll appreciate that. But whatever happens, happens."
Seven-time Pro Bowl LB Zach Thomas took last season, when he deferred to Bradie James, one of the Cowboys' league-record eight captains.

James, who tried to warn his teammates about letting egos get in the way, might be a pretty good leader if anyone actually listened to him.

"Plenty" can sometimes equal "too much".

There are plenty of leaders on this team already. The real, unanswered questions are, "WHO are these leaders?" and "HOW do they lead?".

In my opinion, the head coach should always be the unquestioned leader of a team. That's not to say that the head coach should have absolute power and authority over a franchise since that advantage is always held by an owner and/or general manager, but it does mean that the head coach can be (and should be) looked upon as the sole source of football-related directives at the roster level.

Beyond the head coach are his on-the-field leaders. While there shouldn't be too many "field generals" on offense, defense and special teams, any true leaders playing on the field or even standing on the sidelines should always share the same philosophy of their head coach. A strongly held, singular philosophical tie between both head coach and his leaders within the roster can promote single-minded purpose and resolve which filters down to and is, most often, automatically adopted by the rest of the team.

When your team's ultimate goal is the Super Bowl, it can sharpen everyone's focus towards achieving it. Not doing so can only help fracture a team's focus. True leaders can only help a team achieve what it cannot do as individuals. Weak or false leaders can only help achieve the opposite.

 

[BAT]

Anyone else having Zach Thomas flashbacks?

My exact same reaction. Same old song, from another old LB.


As for having "plenty of leadership", what kind of leader has no followers. That is no leader at all.


I could call myself the President of the US all I want, that still does not make it so.

 

[Q_the_man]

when he deferred to Bradie James, one of the Cowboys' league-record eight captains..

Wow, never heard of that b4, maybe it's a typo....If not Wade is a joke. I can see 4 captains at the most. but 8. double co captians on Offense and Defense....:laugh2:

 

[EveryoneElse]

"There's no pressure to establish myself in any kind of way as a leader," said Brooking, a five-time Pro Bowler in the twilight of his career. "I'm just going to let it take its natural course. I think the guys will see that I come to work every day, roll up my sleeves, and football is very important to me. It's very high up on my priority list. I have a tremendous amount of passion for the game in everything I do.

Translation:

"I'm no leader, I'm just here to collect one last paycheck before I hang em up. Besides, you think I wanna get in the middle of this locker room? I watch ESPN, theres no future in that".

 

[MONT17]

the Cowboys use paychecks to choose captains... so Brooking is SOL!