Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks is USF Athletics' new chief operating officer

Pro and College Football Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks is trading out his Seminoles gear and embracing being a Bull.

The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Florida State University linebacker has accepted the position of chief operating officer for the University of South Florida's Athletics Department.

According to USF, he'll have multiple responsibilities, ranging from sports tourism strategy, enhancing student-athlete experiences, Team Tampa Bay/local pro franchise relations and more.

While Brooks brings a stellar athletics resume to the position, it has been his 15 years as a "key front office executive" since retirement that has qualified him for his new role, according to USF.

He starts immediately.

"There's no better time to be a Bull," Brooks said. "I cannot think of a university or an athletics department with brighter futures than ours,"

USF Athletics CEO Rob Higgins said Brooks has been a pillar of "Team Tampa Bay" for the past 30 years and leader in the state his entire life.

"We have been fortunate to work with Derrick many times over the last two decades, including bringing the Super Bowl to Tampa and hosting that event," said Higgins, who led the Tampa Bay Sports Commission over that period while luring multiple major sports events to the area.

"We could not be more excited to welcome his passion, energy and expertise at USF Athletics as our new COO. He's the ultimate role model for our student-athletes," Higgins added.

Brooks was an All-American at FSU before he was drafted by the Bucs in 1995 with 28th overall pick in the NFL draft. He was with the Bucs until 2009, helping lead them to the Super Bowl XXXVII championship and is widely regarded as one of the greatest linebackers of his era. He officially retired in 2010.

In addition, he was recently voted as the No. 1 player in Bucs history as part of the team's 50th anniversary celebration.

ALSO READ: USF Athletics CEO Rob Higgins shares plan, passion to succeed

During this 14-year NFL career, he earned 11 Pro Bowl selections and nine All-Pro honors. He was also named the 2002 Defensive Player of the Year. Brooks was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016. He was also selected to the NFL's 2000s All-Decade Team and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. His No. 55 jersey has been retired, and he's in the Bucs' Ring of Honor.

"A model of consistency, he never missed a game and anchored one of the league's top defenses for a decade," USF Athletics said in the news release.

At Florida State, he was a four-year letterman and three-time All-American, and helped lead the Seminoles to the 1993 national championship.

Since 2017, Brooks has been serving as executive vice president of corporate and community development at Vinik Sports Group, owners of the Tampa Bay Lightning, since 2017. Brooks got his first taste of front-office work as co-owner and president of the Lightning-owned Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League from 2011 until the team folded in 2017.

Beyond sports franchises, his executive experience has spanned the worlds of business, education and charity.

He is the president and founder of Derrick Brooks Charities and the co-founder of Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School and is on the boards of Kforce, the Florida Department of Education Foundation and Florida State Fair Authority.

He was also named to the FSU Board of Trustees in 2003 by then-Gov. Jeb Bush, serving until 2011. He has also been on the boards of Saint Leo University and the Florida Governor's Council on Physical Fitness.

He continues to work in pro football as an on-field appeals officer for the NFL.

From 2006 to 2012, he was managing member of Brooks 55 Labor Enterprises, a staffing and workforce solutions company.

Brooks and his wife, Carol, have four children, and his daughter DaNia is a junior infielder on the USF softball team.

So, although he might have his college memories at Florida State, Brooks said that USF has held a special place in his family's hearts for a while now.

"I am ready to get to work and excited to join Rob, his staff, and the tremendous student-athletes and coaches who make USF Athletics a one-of-one college athletic department. As Rob likes to say: 'All Gas. No Brakes. No Regrets. No Excuses.' And I'll just add: Go Bulls!"