Brooks gives JMU big payoff as offensive lineman

In some cases, college recruiting is an exercise in risk-reward assessment. A coach must weigh some kind of problem against the potential return.

The medical problem of Dorian Brooks suggested at best limited investment.

Brooks was damaged goods as a defensive lineman during his senior year at Highland Springs High School. A herniated disk kept him out of all but three games and subsequently required surgery.

Major Division I-A schools interested in Brooks looked at the back issue and moved on. James Madison, primarily because of assistant coach J.C. Price, stuck with Brooks and offered him a partial scholarship.

The Dukes now have a prospective NFL offensive lineman on their hands. The powerful 6-2½, 302-pound senior guard with the 5.1 clocking in the 40 drew considerable attention during spring drills at JMU.

"The remarks I heard from the NFL scouts were really glowing about how good a football player they thought he was," JMU coach Mickey Matthews said.

Brooks is a weightlifting fiend. Highland Springs Activities Director Rudy Ward said Brooks is "the kid when you turn out the lights in the weight room who says, 'Coach, can I get a few more reps?'"

Trying to squat about 400 pounds, Brooks hurt his back during a preseason lifting session at Highland Springs. He played some in the first two games, but the pain eventually forced him to the sideline, and, after one more try against archrival Varina, to surgery.

Before the injury, Price had gotten a good look at Brooks during a team camp at Virginia Tech. Price, a former Tech defensive lineman, was a graduate assistant with the Hokies. He joined Matthews' staff at JMU in the summer of 2004 as the defensive-line coach.

"He asked Coach Matthews to give me a chance," Brooks said. "That's all I needed."

Once at Madison, Brooks' back problem wasn't an issue. But it became apparent to Matthews that Brooks didn't have enough of what Matthews calls "racehorse" in him to be a defensive lineman. He saw someone whose balance, strength and quickness fit better as an offensive lineman. So he told Brooks after his redshirt year he was switching to offensive guard.

"I was pretty upset," Brooks said. "I didn't see it working. I wanted to make plays and tackles. I do remember the day after they moved me, Coach Matthews called me up in the middle of practice and said, 'I've been coaching for 30 years. It's a good move.'

"So I swallowed my pride and said if this is where I'm going to be, I might as well work hard at it."

Matthews described Brooks as "average to below-average" during his redshirt freshman year at guard. He became a starter as a sophomore but still struggled some while overthinking his footwork and technique.

Then, the spring before his junior year, everything clicked.

"After we practiced three or four days, everyone on the staff went, 'Whoa, this guy has really improved,' " Matthews said. "I just think it took a little while for him to grasp what was going on."

Brooks was second-team all-Colonial Athletic Association last year. Matthews said he thought Brooks was the best lineman in the league.

Stoked by the NFL interest, Brooks has put on 20 pounds since the spring. His bench press has gone from 420 to 450 pounds, and he squats "half the building," Matthews said. But he's trying to remain focused on the concluding piece to that faith Madison's coaches showed.

"It was a gamble on their part, but Dorian fought like the devil to make sure he lived up to it," Ward said. "He made it worth their while."