Blue Wahoos Investor, NFL Legend Derrick Brooks, Grateful For Charitable Impact In Hometown 

With a microphone in hand, urgency in his voice, Derrick Brooks commanded the field, just as he did throughout a legendary football career.

“Hey, listen up, listen up!” said Brooks, as he suddenly got the chatter and distractions on the practice range at Pensacola Country Club to silence, while imploring celebrity teammates at the recent fourth annual Derrick Brooks Pensacola Golf Classic to gather for a quick photo.

“There is some accountability to the scoring,” Brooks said, smiling. “I’ve got a keen, eagle’s eye on everybody’s scorecard.”

And with that, Brooks soon got 27 different group teams in golf carts to scatter and fill the tee boxes across the manicured expanse of PCC, which holds special distinction as the oldest private golf club in Florida, founded in 1902.

One of those groups was the Blue Wahoos contingent, led by team president Jonathan Griffith, general manager Steve Brice, ticket manager Brandon Miller and corporate sales executive T.J. Johnson. They played with former NFL fullback William Floyd, who has known Brooks since the two were teammates at Florida State.

After dealing with a calendar pause in 2020 for onslaught of the coronavirus, then two weather postponements in 2021 before restaging, his signature golf event has taken foothold, while raising thousands of dollars for his Pensacola charities.

“A shout out to the community,” said Brooks, who has been part of the Blue Wahoos ownership team since 2018. “They are continuing to show up and sell out this event.

“I am very thankful,” said Brooks, after cooling off from nearly 5 hours on the course Monday amid temperatures in the mid-90’s. “The money that is raised is obviously going back to doing good things here, but man, we are taking another step towards getting better each year.”

Brooks rose from national high school stardom at Booker T. Washington High, to All-American linebacker status while helping Florida State to its first national title in 1993, then NFL immortality with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as one of just 31 linebackers currently enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

He has remained Pensacola proud.

In his rookie NFL season with the Bucs in 1995, Brooks began his philanthropic efforts in his hometown. It began with returning at Christmas time to provide gifts and a party for underprivileged children in a partnership with long-time WEAR-TV newscaster Sue Straughn.

His efforts have expanded to impact eight different initiatives in Pensacola. The most recent occurred Aug. 10 in the first Back To School Bash at the Woodland Heights Community Resource Center. On that day, 500 backpacks and school supplies were provided to youths who had no such means of getting those kind of school items.

“You don’t get tired of doing good things,” Brooks said. “God has not just blessed me with resources, but also with relationships. I can’t say that enough.

“Over the years the people keep believing in the vision,” he said. “A lot of things that I’m most proud about are things I’ve been able to do that people don’t even know about. The seeds that people sew into this foundation are being rewarded in ways people don’t even know.

“There are lot of things that don’t get attention that are really some things I’m most proud. Anything that can change the lives of kids is something I’m passionate about. I can’t overstate that.”

In Tampa, where’s maintained a home since his NFL career began, Brooks is now a vice president with the Tampa Bay Lightning, along with being involved with the NFL commissioner’s office.

This gives him distinction in the athletic world as a former player now part of the NFL, NHL and Major League Baseball through the Blue Wahoos affiliation with the Miami Marlins.

His celebrity golf tournament this week included several of Pensacola’s most famous athletes from other sports. Hall of Fame boxer Roy Jones Jr. greeted participants, even though he doesn’t play golf.

Famed women’s basketball player Michelle Snow, a Pensacola High grad, who played 16 professional seasons, now is a successful business entrepreneur, returned home to play.

Former Major League baseball players from Pensacola, Adron Chambers and Phil Hiatt were part of the event, along with former area football stars Fred Robbins, who like Brooks, is a Super Bowl champion, plus Reggie Johnson, Kevin Knox and Thad Busby – all former FSU stars – played in the golf tournament.

Domenik Hixon, a former New York Giants receiver, who was part of two Super Bowl championship teams and now living in Pensacola, was part of the local celebrity athlete contingent.

Blue Wahoos scout liaison Kevin Saucier, former MLB reliever who won a World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980, was part of a group who played in the tournament.

Pro Football Hall of Fame member Jerome Bettis was scheduled to be part of the celebrities, but informed days before the event, he was asked to be in Pittsburgh, where he is a iconic former member of the Steelers, to participate in a political rally for Kamala Harris.

In all, Brooks had 20 or so celebrities travel to Pensacola, along with former athletes living here, to be part of his tournament, a nod to the relationships Brooks has built with other athletes.

“I think for me, they see the grind and the work, and the passion that I have for changing the community,” Brooks said. “So, it is more about what they see me doing that speaks volumes.

“We’re blessed that they all answer the phone when I call them, but more importantly when you have “celebrity friends,” it’s about the relationships and I can’t say that enough.

“I help them with their causes as well,” Brooks said. “So, it is a true fraternity of that, especially with our local athletes here who are retired. I want to make sure they stay informed to what we’re doing in this community, because it’s going to take a community of people to keep this going strong.

Many of the celebrities who played in the tournament are Tampa residents like Brooks, a group that included famed boxer Antonio Tarver, former NFL defensive tackle turned football television star, Anthony “Booger” McFarland and former MLB star Gary Sheffield.

Brooks maintains friendships and many play in both his Pensacola tournament and the one he started 25 years ago in Tampa.

His Pensacola event has grown into a two-day set of activities, headlined with a pairings party the previous night at the Hilton Pensacola Beach, which has become the presenting sponsor.

“I feel like we’re gaining traction, but we’re definitely not where we want to be,” said Bonita Pulido, long-time executive director of Derrick Brooks Charities in Tampa, who runs both tournaments as part of her varied role in the organization. “We have a lot of new blood that we’ve gotten this year, this is our second year with the pairings party and I think that helps a lot.

“We have a great partnership with the Hilton Pensacola Beach and that is a definitely a plus for us. Like Derrick has said we’re still sowing seeds, so it takes awhile for things to grow.”

The tournament essentially sold out of its available foursome team slots months ago. It has added sponsors, including Wawa, the new upscale convenience store, which has expanded from south Florida into Pensacola with four locations opening in the next 12 months.

“I feel great about where we are,” Brooks said. “Every year, we’re just stacking blocks… getting a little bit better.”