The day would inevitably come. He knew it, we knew it, it was just a matter of when. And now, the question of "when" has been answered. Derrick Brooks -- No. 55, double nickel -- has officially retired. He made the announcement on his website, DerrickBrooks.TV.
Brooks will retire as an 11-time Pro Bowl selection and nine-time All-Pro. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year during the Buccaneers' Super Bowl run in 2002. He started 221 games and played in 224 games, every single game that he was on the Bucs roster, which is a franchise record. He recorded 2,198 tackles, most in franchise history, along with eight defensive touchdowns, second most in Bucs history.
He was taken with the 28th pick in the 1995 NFL draft out of Florida State University and would be a key cog in the Bucs' turn from laughingstock to perennial contender. His FSU No. 10 jersey has been retired. Even more important was his work off the field. He has founded and been involved with numerous charities his entire career.
A press conference will be held at One Buc Place on Thursday at 1:30 p.m., which will also be simulcast on Buccaneers.com.