Where Are They Now: Terrence Brooks

Terrence Brooks and Dexter McDougle weren’t teammates, but they do have a history.

During the 2014 NFL Draft, Brooks, a free safety from Florida State, was selected in the third round, 79th overall, by the Baltimore Ravens. McDougle, a cornerback from Maryland, was chosen next with the 80th overall pick, by the Jets.

Three years later, with one preseason game remaining on the schedule, Brooks, who was now with the Philadelphia Eagles, was acquired by the Jets in a trade for McDougle.

“It was always a city that I was interested in,” Brooks said. “Being a small-town kid growing up in Dunnellon (FL), you’ve got about four stoplights. So going to a city like that is the polar opposite. It was a great opportunity. The trade was definitely surprising, but it was more of an excitement just because it was a city that I’ve always wanted to live in. And so it was really cool.”

With the Ravens for two seasons and the Eagles for one, Brooks’ first game as a Jet was ironically against Philadelphia in the preseason finale. Having played in 34 games during his first three years, that experience helped him not have to arrive early and stay late in order to learn a new playbook.

“Honestly, it was more like a revenge thing for me being able to go back against Philly,” Brooks laughed. “It’s really the terminology that you’ve got to pick up. Usually, they’re the same concepts from team to team. But for that part, everything was really basic, so it was easy to pick up on. And I played a really good game that game. It was just a cool experience to see those guys again and be on the other side of the ball. There was a lot of trash talking.”

While Brooks was in Philadelphia the season before joining the Jets, he had the opportunity to talk with and learn from veterans including now Hall of Fame free safety Brian Dawkins. Those conversations were beneficial then and also when he was wearing a uniform with a different shade of green – as a Jet. And it was something that he was able to pay…