Coach wears emotions on field, dedicated to players
By JIMMY GALVAN Managing Editor

Being a business major in college, Thomas Brooks knew there was a bigger challenge out there for him.

"After about two years into it, I started think if this was what I really wanted to do for the rest of my life," Brooks said. "I talked to my academic counselor and he asked me what I liked and I told him football. I knew I wasn't good enough to play in the NFLso I decided to try coaching.

"I knew I liked working with kids and I thought about it for a week and changed my major," Brooks said.

Now, Jasper's head football coach is entering his 25th year in coaching, including two stints with the Bulldogs.

"I have never regretted getting into coaching," Brooks said. "I have enjoyed the whole time I've been in it and every stop has been happy. I have never thought about doing anything else."

Brooks first stop in his coaching career was at the junior high of Hull- Daisetta before moving on to West Orange-Stark to coach the defensive line under present WO-S Head Football Coach Dan Hooks.

"Coach Hooks is who taught me my work ethics and I learned a lot under him," Brooks said. "All the other coaches on the staff were older and I was the youngest on the staff at 25."

In fact, Hooks never intended to hire Brooks at WO-S.

"He didn't want to hire me because I was so young and they were a Class 5A school and he wanted a more experienced coach," Brooks said. "But I kept bugging him and bugging him and finally he decided to hire me so I would stop bugging him."

In 1990, Brooks left WO-S to become the defensive coordinator for Waxahachie High School and became head coach four years later.

In 2000, Brooks came home to take over the Jasper Bulldog football program and stayed for two seasons.

"The first year wasn't so good," Brooks said of the 3-8 season. "We made the playoffs but we lost to West Orange-Stark in the first round. We had played them earlier in the year so that was my second time to play against them that year and they beat us both times.

"The next year, we were able to play them again and we beat them that time," Brooks said.

He said beating his former mentor was satisfying and made Brooks feel that he had arrived on the coaching front.

"Coach Hooks has a legacy around here with what he has accomplished so anytime you beat WO-S, it is a pretty good accomplishment," Brooks said.

He said over his 25 years in the business, he has seen a lot of changes in the times, not in football.

"I think coaches have to adapt with the times," Brooks said.

Back in the days that Brooks was playing, players didn't get much water while on the practice field.

He said now, children are used to staying inside and playing on their game stations and not used to getting out and becoming acclimated to the heat.

"We don't have a lot of breaks but our kids know that we have water at each station and they can get water at any time they get thirsty," Brooks said. "You have to be careful with that."

He said one aspect that hasn't changed in his 25 years of coaching is having discipline in a program.

"I think you have to have discipline in a program," Brooks said. "If you don't have that, then you are wasting your time and hurting the kid as well. If you let them do what they want to do, that is not how the real world works.

"Plus, you have to be fair with all of them," Brooks said. "There are some kids you can yell at and some you can't. You have to know the kids. I spend a lot of time getting to know the kids and seeing what motivates them."

He said he works hard to teach his players about character and how to work hard to achieve their goals.

"My kids have to call in if they are going to miss practice," Brooks said. "That's what you have to do when you have a job. We're trying to teach them responsibility as well out here."

Brooks said he hasn't changed one bit in his 25 years of coaching and has no plans on it either.

"I will find a place that fits the way that I coach and the person that I am," Brooks said. "I will never change the person I am or how I lead or coach a team. My philosophy is that this is the way it is and this is what you are going to do if you want to be on this team.

"I was hired to be the head coach and I will take the responsibilities to be the head coach because if it don't go right, I will get the blame," Brooks said. "You have to be who you are and not be someone else. Kids will know if you are not being yourself."