MIAMI GARDENS — Linebacker Jordyn Brooks has missed two games in the past five years.
In his six-year NFL career, he has averaged 140 tackles per season.
Put them together and you have a player who doesn’t miss games and doesn’t miss tackles.
At 28 years old, Brooks and defensive lineman Zach Sieler will be counted on to provide veteran leadership on the NFL’s youngest team, a role both players embrace.
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“It's a lot of young guys, a lot of inexperienced guys, and so as older vets on the team, that's a responsibility that we have to be responsible for,” Brooks said. “It's going to be a gauntlet of a season. We got such young guys, it's easy for young guys to kind of ride the wave, highs and lows in the season. So
our job is to be somewhere in the middle and help those guys in the best way that we can. We're up for the challenge and excited for this upcoming season.”
Brooks, like Sieler, welcome new coach Jeff Hafley’s edict that the Dolphins will shed their “soft” label and become a physical team.
“To me, physicality is a choice that takes no talent,” Brooks said. “It's just a decision that one man's got to make, whether he wants to be physical or not. And so that's a mindset that we're trying to bleed into this team on a consistent basis.”
Ask Brooks a question, he’ll answer it, whether the answer is one you hoped for or not.
“There’s been some times where we had very physical practices,” he said. “There’s been times that we haven't, right? That's what practice is for, is try to build that consistency, so when we get to the games, that's what shows up on tape. That's where we're in the process of doing, being the most physical and toughest team we can be.”
There were times during training camp when as much as Brooks wanted to go, a leg injury forced him not to. Taking the smart approach seems to have paid off with the season still 1 1/2 weeks away. It makes no sense to gamble with a player coming off an All-Pro season, which Brooks is.
“I knew it wasn't long term,” he said of the injury. “It was just something I had to get taken care of. A couple days, couple weeks, it's all good to go now.”
When he does line up in the opener against the Las Vegas Raiders, Brooks will have a new partner at his side. The Dolphins are going with second-round pick Jacob Rodriguez after releasing veteran Tyrel Dodson.
“Jacob is, I like to say, like a rookie vet,” Brooks said “He's already seasoned. Whatever he was doing at Texas Tech, he was doing the right things. Came in very knowledgeable of the game, very mature and just ready to go. He's just gotten better and better since OTAs, honestly. I'm excited to see his growth and what he does this year.”
Hal Habib covers the Miami Dolphins for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at HHabib@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins' Jordyn Brooks: Being physical is choice, takes no talent
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