DANIELLE MALOTT/Arizona Daily Wildcat Arizona Sophomore safety Darrell Brooks has quickly established himself as one of the Wildcat defense's leaders, while also making a name for himself in the stat column. In Arizona's 59-13 loss to Louisiana State last weekend, Brooks recorded 13 tackles (11 solo) and an interception.

Sophomore Brooks shines in return to natural position

Typically, a football player forced to move from one position to another will require at least a season to make a full adjustment.

Arizona sophomore safety Darrel Brooks isn't the typical football player.

Brooks came to Tucson as a safety out of high school, taking a redshirt year during his first season as a Wildcat.

Following a slew of injuries across the board at the start of the 2002 season, Brooks was asked to move to cornerback, where the team suddenly lacked depth.

Fighting through injuries of his own, he managed to become an everyday starter at corner.

Brooks managed to finish the season as the Wildcat's fifth-leading tackler, and earned a Pacific 10 Conference honorable mention nod in the process.

Despite his newfound prowess on the edges for the UA defense, Brooks proved once again that he wasn't the typical football player by moving back to his natural position of safety ÷ and after the way he's taken over the Arizona defensive backfield after just two games, the coaching staff probably won't be moving him again any time soon.

"Darrel will make plays wherever he is," head coach John Mackovic said. "He's real smart, breaks on the ball well and is a solid tackler."

"I love playing safety," Brooks said. "It's natural for me since I've been playing it since Pop Warner."

Brooks said the only real difference from playing on the corner and at safety was the change from playing in one particular area, to having to survey the entire field.

In the Wildcats' first three games, he hasn't just been surveying the entire field. He's managed to cover every inch of it on his own.

Brooks has 25 tackles in three games and looked as though he felt comfortable being back at his natural position in Arizona's 59-13 loss to LSU two weeks ago. Despite the team's loss, he finished the game with 13 tackles - 11 solo - and an interception, which earned him a nomination for Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week. Brooks had seven tackles against Oregon last Saturday.

"He contributes because he is in the right place all the time and he's around the football," Mackovic said.

The team will also look to Brooks to provide a bigger role as a leader. Of this season's four starting defensive backs, Brooks played in the most games last year.

"Guys will look to me for advice, and I will have to fill that void," Brooks said.

He also mentioned that having two veteran teammates in Michael Jolivette and Gary Love playing cornerback has helped him make big plays.

"The free safety is like the quarterback of the defense," secondary coach Steve Bernstein said.

With the Purdue Boilermakers' proving to have one of the nation's premier passing games, Brooks figures to play a key roll in attempting to contain Purdue junior wideout Taylor Stubblefield.

Last season, he was asked on numerous occasions to cover the opponent's top receiver, and on almost all occasions, he came through. Most notable was his performance against former Stanford and current Oakland Raider receiver Teyo Johnson. Brooks had the duties of shadowing the 6-foot-8 Johnson for the entire game. He held him to just two yards on one catch.

Although Brooks has moved from safety to corner and back, he has invariably been a key contributor on defense. If he continues to play the way he has, he will be making another move at the end of the season. - from the Pac-10's honorable mention list to the All Pac-10 first team.