116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s Nick Brooks a big kid with big ability and potential
The 6-foot-8, 385-pound offensive lineman grew up in C.R., went to Georgia for a couple of years and now is back in town as a big-time college recruit who wants to win a lot of football games at Kennedy
Aug. 23, 2023 12:20 pm
CEDAR RAPIDS — You extend your hand for an introductory shake prior to a recent Cedar Rapids Kennedy football practice, and Nick Brooks quickly accepts. He’s a cordial young man.
There is some pain involved here, though Brooks doesn’t mean to hurt you. It’s just that his grip is firm and his hands so big.
He’s so big.
The junior offensive lineman was weighed and measured recently, just for the purposes of being official and everything. He checked in at 6-foot-8 and 385 pounds.
His shoe size is 17. Big.
“I’m ready to go. We’ve got a good team out here,” said Brooks, his hair highlighted with little streaks of Kennedy green and gold. “I came back here because this is a great team. I’ve wanted to come back since I left, truly.”
Brooks grew up in Cedar Rapids, attending Harding Middle School with many of his Kennedy teammates, but lived in Georgia the previous two years, where he became one of the top offensive line prospects in the country. Schools like Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and Florida State have offered him scholarships, as has Iowa.
Everyone wants Nicolai Brooks.
“There is a lot of hype, and you never know what you are going to get until you actually start seeing him doing things,” said Kennedy Coach Brian White. “In the summer, when you are in T-shirts and shorts, everybody looks really, really good. But then when you put a helmet on, you start hitting pads, you start doing everything, and guys start separating themselves a little bit ... He’s the real deal.”
White said it’s not just his size, but the athleticism and ability to move at his size that makes Brooks a real deal. He can dunk a basketball with ease, according to the coach, can get out and pull on counter runs.
“He gets on you in a hurry,” said Kennedy senior linebacker Calvin White, the coach’s son. “He’s huge, but he’s fast, and he’s also really physical. I think he’s going to be a problem this year.”
Brooks has never been a problem kid, though his young life has been unstable at best. He has 17 siblings and step siblings, some of whom he has no communication.
An aunt took over parental rights from his mother, which led to him going to Saint Francis High School in Alpharetta, Ga., an Atlanta suburb. He lives here now in a northeast-side apartment complex with a 27-year-old stepsister.
“Yes, my life had been difficult. But it is better now after going to Georgia for two years, now knowing my worth. Football keeps me locked in, for sure,” he said. “I left because of, like, family problems, money, all of those things. But now I’m back, and I’m ready to go.
“It’s going pretty good. I mean, all my family lives here, so if I want to go to my mom’s or my dad’s house, I can go whenever I want. I’m just living with my sister right now, my stepsister. We’ve got food in the house, I’ve got a place to sleep, so I’m good.”
Brooks met former National Football League running back Brandon Jacobs while in Georgia, who took him under his wing and trained him. Jacobs has a son, Brayden, who also is a big-time college offensive line prospect.
Brayden Jacobs decided to transfer from Saint Francis to Buford High School in Georgia for this season, which played a part in Brooks returning to Iowa. Brooks said he is in no hurry to announce a college commitment, saying he wants to whittle his official list to about 10 first.
Yes, Iowa is very much in the mix, he said. NIL will play a part in his ultimate decision, but he said not fully.
“It will be important, but that’s not the main goal,” Brooks said. “I want to get to the League, make most of my money there. I’ve just got to keep working. NIL, I’m not too worried about it, but I want to get paid. Everybody does.”
First he wants to win some football games at Kennedy. This Cougars team could very well be the best in school history, one that legitimately has state championship aspirations.
Everyone will learn a lot in Week 1, when No. 2 West Des Moines Dowling travels to Kingston Stadium to play the sixth-ranked Cougars on a Saturday night.
“When they were younger, my youngest kid is part of that group, I’ve always thought when those kids were seniors, it’d be the most talented team I’ve ever had,” Coach White said. “Especially with the way the juniors fit in so well with them, this team has the potential to do some good things.”
“I want us to be as (good) as we can be,” Brooks said. “Go get a championship, the first one here. That’s what I’m working for. It’s great to be here again. I went to school with a lot of these guys, middle school. They are my family, too. I’m just happy to be back.”
Cedar Rapids Kennedy, at a glance
Coach: Brian White (9 years, 64-30 record)
Last year: 7-3 (lost in first round of Class 5A playoffs)
Returning letterwinners: FB/LB Calvin White, WR/FS Cyrus Courtney, OL Logan Johnson, QB Vincenzo Gianforte, RB Trevor Scott, SS Christian Gasper, OLB B.J. Henry, WR Davarion Harris, SS Owen Anderson, K Dylan Augustine, TB/LB Jacob Doyle, TB Anthony Franklin, WR Nick Woods, OL Andrew Moser, TE/DL Grant Mather, DL Trey Potter, LB Anthony Huber.
3 keys to success: In no particular order here: 1. Replace multiple key defensive players who graduated. 2. Ride a massive offensive line offensively. 3. Stay healthy, which was an issue late last season and in the playoffs.
Big game: Right out of the gate in Week 1 on a Saturday night (Aug. 26) at Kingston Stadium against West Des Moines Dowling. Could be a doozy between two of the top Class 5A teams in the state.
Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com
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