Brooking remains a foundation amidst Atlanta rubble

As the Atlanta Falcons begin a three-day mandatory minicamp Saturday, they'll have a new face (rookie quarterback Matt Ryan) and a new mind (courtesy of new coach Mike Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff). But the one thing the Falcons did keep was their heart.

They kept Keith Brooking.

Some day, the middle linebacker will get his due. Maybe a few years down the road, Ryan, Smith and Dimitroff will stand around at Super Bowl media day and talk about the franchise's remarkable turnaround. They probably will talk about some rough times early on, and if there's any justice in the world, they'll talk about Brooking.

In the past year, Michael Vick and Bobby Petrino came pretty close to re-enacting Sherman's march through Georgia -- torching a fan base as Vick went to federal prison and Petrino to the University of Arkansas. In the past few months, the Falcons worked to bury just about every sign of the past, releasing popular running back Warrick Dunn and tight end Alge Crumpler and unloading disgruntled cornerback DeAngelo Hall.

CLICK IT 4 the full read.......brooking does indeed, have heart!!!