Former soccer player Davis Brooks is Tinley Park’s new QB

A longtime soccer participant, Davis Brooks was questioned to be part of the Tinley Park soccer group previous time to be the kicker.

A 12 months afterwards, Brooks is likely into his junior calendar year as the Titans’ starting off quarterback.

It’s already been really a journey for anyone with a restricted soccer track record who was introduced in for his leg and is now showcasing his arm.

“Honestly, I did not believe this would ever occur,” Brooks reported. “The most difficult aspect is learning all the plays and executing.”

Brooks played a minimal bit of football escalating up but reported it was “nothing critical.” Soccer, which he performs with the Chicago Empire club, was always his key sport.

“I hardly ever truly anticipated to like football that a lot, but I did generally marvel about it,” Brooks mentioned. “My mother and father ended up generally additional soccer folks, though. So, now I’m variety of just executing what I want to do.”

With the Titans seeking for bodies to fill their scout groups in methods, Brooks was thrown into unique spots last time and built an impact with his athleticism.

He finally attained some actively playing time at receiver in online games.

“I was definitely nervous at initially, but I begun acquiring the cling of it,” he claimed. “It was diverse in game titles far more than follow, with opponents hitting you and all the things, so it took some time to get utilized to it.”

Brooks had 3 catches for 49 yards and scored a landing in opposition to Bremen.

He also started off to capture the eye of assistant coach Chris Vitt, who’s entering his 1st season as Tinley Park’s head coach, though casually tossing the ball around with teammates in advance of practice.

“I saw that he has that flick of the wrist that you want with quarterbacks,” Vitt claimed. “I was like, ‘That’s a quarterback.’ He’s a purely natural athlete. He can run like the wind. He has great ft from soccer.

“He’s received the mindset you want, way too. He’s mature, clever past his decades, and he does not get flustered.”

Vitt enable Brooks know, when the summer season rolled about, he preferred to see what he could do at quarterback.

“He explained to me in the course of the week of my initially AP test, so that designed me even extra nervous,” Brooks claimed. “But it is something I required to do, for confident.”

Then it was time for Vitt to break the news to the workforce that past season’s kicker would be this season’s quarterback.

“I consider at first they weren’t guaranteed about it,” Vitt said. “I imagine Davis was a small bit anxious in the starting, and you could see he was just hoping to steer the ball in.

“As the summer went on, the fellas could see, ‘OK, this guy is great.’”

Senior limited finish Anthony Czerwiec turned a believer.

“It’s been a awesome knowledge to enjoy him mature,” Czerwiec said of Brooks. “I’m not stating he wasn’t proficient to get started with, but to see exactly where he’s at now from the place he started, just from the summer time by itself, he’s developed tremendously.

“He’s always had the athletic capacity, but he’s improved with his psychological procedure of looking at the field and making the correct performs.”

Czerwiec has been equally impressed with Brooks’ demeanor.

“He’s a likable guy,” Czerwiec explained. “He’s a person that all people rallies close to. You want your quarterback to be that. He provides every person alongside one another.”

When the Titans open the year Aug. 26 in opposition to Oak Lawn, Brooks will however be kicking. He just hopes to be converting excess points soon after foremost his offense into the close zone.

“That very first sport, I definitely don’t know what to assume,” Brooks reported. “I really don’t truly feel a ton of tension, while. I’m just enthusiastic to be out there participating in.

“It’s heading to be fantastic.”

Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Each day Southtown.