A longtime soccer player, Davis Brooks was asked to join the Tinley Park football team last season to be the kicker.
A year later, Brooks is going into his junior year as the Titans’ starting quarterback.
It’s already been quite a journey for someone with a limited football background who was brought in for his leg and is now showcasing his arm.
“Honestly, I didn’t think this would ever happen,” Brooks said. “The hardest part is learning all the plays and executing.”
Brooks played a little bit of football growing up but said it was “nothing serious.” Soccer, which he plays with the Chicago Empire club, was always his main sport.
“I never really expected to like football that much, but I did always wonder about it,” Brooks said. “My parents were always more soccer people, though. So, now I’m kind of just doing what I want to do.”
With the Titans looking for bodies to fill their scout teams in practices, Brooks was thrown into different spots last season and made an impression with his athleticism.
He eventually earned some playing time at receiver in games.
“I was really nervous at first, but I started getting the hang of it,” he said. “It was different in games more than practice, with opponents hitting you and everything, so it took some time to get used to it.”
Brooks had three catches for 49 yards and scored a touchdown against Bremen.
He also started to catch the eye of assistant coach Chris Vitt, who’s entering his first season as Tinley Park’s head coach, while casually tossing the ball around with teammates before practice.
“I saw that he has that flick of the wrist that you want with quarterbacks,” Vitt said. “I was like, ‘That’s a quarterback.’ He’s a natural athlete. He can run like the wind. He has good feet from soccer.
“He’s got the attitude you want, too. He’s mature, wise beyond his years, and he doesn’t get flustered.”
Vitt let Brooks know, when the summer rolled around, he wanted to see what he could do at quarterback.
“He told me during the week of my first AP exam, so that made me even more nervous,” Brooks said. “But it’s something I wanted to do, for sure.”
Then it was time for Vitt to break the news to the team that last season’s kicker would be this season’s quarterback.
“I think initially they weren’t sure about it,” Vitt said. “I think Davis was a little bit nervous in the beginning, and you could see he was just trying to steer the ball in.
“As the summer went on, the guys could see, ‘OK, this guy is good.'”
Senior tight end Anthony Czerwiec became a believer.
“It’s been a cool experience to watch him grow,” Czerwiec said of Brooks. “I’m not saying he wasn’t talented to start with, but to see where he’s at now from where he started, just from the summer alone, he’s grown tremendously.
“He’s always had the athletic ability, but he’s improved with his mental process of reading the field and making the right plays.”
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Czerwiec has been equally impressed with Brooks’ demeanor.
“He’s a likable guy,” Czerwiec said. “He’s someone that everyone rallies around. You need your quarterback to be that. He brings everyone together.”
When the Titans open the season Aug. 26 against Oak Lawn, Brooks will still be kicking. He just hopes to be converting extra points after leading his offense into the end zone.
“That first game, I really don’t know what to expect,” Brooks said. “I don’t feel a lot of pressure, though. I’m just excited to be out there playing.
“It’s going to be great.”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.