Former Virginia Linebacker Ahmad Brooks Named One Of College Football's Top True Freshmen Of The Century

It is a hard thing for a true freshman to come into a power conference program and make an impact right away, but former Virginia linebacker Ahmad Brooks was one player to do that in 2003 for the Cavaliers. Before Brooks was helping the San Francisco 49ers get to the Super Bowl in 2012, he was wrecking ACC defenses for the Cavaliers from the day he set foot on campus. In a recent ranking of the top 25 true freshmen of the 21st century, CBS Sports analyst Chris Hummer ranked Brooks No. 20:

"One of the highest-rated recruits in Virginia history, Brooks lived up to that billing immediately as arguably the most impactful player on a top 25 scoring defense. Brooks finished his debut season with a team-high 117 tackles along with 10 tackles for loss, four sacks and six passes defended. He'd go on to become a first-team All-American and NFL Pro Bowler."

After starting his career with the Cincinnati Bengals, Brooks went on to have a very nice career with the San Francisco 49ers. Once Jim Harbaugh took over the 49ers in 2011, Brooks became a very crucial part of the best defense in the NFL. From 2011-2013, Brooks started every regular season game and was voted as a second team All-Pro linebacker in 2012 and 2013, as well as the Pro Bowl in 2013. In 2012, Brooks totaled 6.5 sacks and 64 tackles, as well as a pair of forced fumbles. He set a career high in sacks in 2013 with 8.5 sacks and 12 TFL's.

For his career, Brooks finished with 55 sacks, over 700 tackles, and 77 TFL's. He was one of the best linebackers in the country while playing in Charlottesville and was an exceptional pro as well. It is fantastic that he is getting recognized for having one of the best true freshman seasons of the last 25 years.