‘Heaps of emotion’: North Carolina’s British Brooks makes impactful, tearful return

Football is a tough sport. It also can be tender, as odd as that might sound.

North Carolina running back British Brooks, having pounded his way through South Carolina’s defense, was in tears Saturday after the 31-17 victory in Charlotte. He dropped to a knee on the Bank of America field for a few moments before being helped up by UNC coach Mack Brown.

Brown gave Brooks a long hug. He then tapped him on the helmet as defensive lineman Travis Shaw came up, shouting, “Yeah, BB! Welcome back, big bro!”

A knee injury kept Brooks out of the 2022 season. His last game in a Tar Heels uniform had come in the 2021 Duke’s Mayo Bowl, when he led the team in rushing in what would be a 38-21 loss to South Carolina at Bank of America Stadium.

But there he was Saturday, the starter, gashing the Gamecocks for 103 yards, catching three passes, being a big part of the offense in the 2023 season opener on the same field.

“That was a huge moment in his life,” Brown said Monday. “That just had heaps of emotion on him.”

As he stood in a stadium hallway outside the locker room, Brooks talked about the moments after the game.

“I just couldn’t hold it back,” he said of his tears. “I was just trying to soak it all in.”

Injuries can devastate

Brown has an understanding of knee injuries and an appreciation for how devastating they can be. He was once a hot-shot running back out of Tennessee before a string of knee surgeries at Florida State.

Brown gave up playing, as hard as that was, to be a coach like his dad, starting what would be a Hall of Fame career as a student assistant at FSU. One of his toughest tasks as a head coach has always been helping a player through the anger and anguish of dealing with a major injury.

Cornerback DeAndre Boykins has been lost for this season with a knee injury, UNC announced Saturday before the game.

“I broke down when I was talking to Dre Boykins,” Brown said Monday. “I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a player love football more than Dre. And he was absolutely crushed that he wasn’t going to get to play.”

Brown noted the team FaceTimed Boykins from the locker room. They sang “Happy birthday” to him and had a game ball ready for him. That wanted him to feel the warmth of winning, to be a part of it.

“When people talk about what matters in this game, kids matter,” Brown said.

Brooks, a graduate student from Gastonia, was asked Saturday if he ever considered giving up football after his injury.

“Never,” he said.

There were some doubts that had to be overcome, Brown conceded. How well would the rehab go? How well would Brooks handle the mental side of dealing with the injury?

More so, given the Tar Heels’ abundance of running backs, where would Brooks fit?

Turns out, he was the starting running back after a strong preseason and will be again Saturday when the Heels host Appalachian State in UNC’s home opener at Kenan Stadium.

“He does everything right,” Brown said Monday. “That’s why he was the starter. … British is a guy he’s going to show up every day for work and he never changes his motor or expression. He practices hard every day, he plays hard every day.

“And he never speaks. I mean, he never speaks. If you say ‘Hi, British’ you’re going to get maybe a ‘Hello’ but it’s going to be a quiet one. That’s just who he is. And he has never griped about playing or not playing, never asked about getting the ball more.”

Back in the game

Brooks did not play in the Heels’ 63-61 win over App State in Boone early last season. He was a bystander as UNC worked its way through a 9-5 season, losing its last four games.

But the Tar Heels picked up a big win Saturday, sending a lot of Gamecocks fans home angry and muttering. It was pretty much a complete-game victory in all football facets to start off 2023.

Brooks was asked what he learned about his team Saturday.

“We have heart,” he said, speaking softly.