Derrick Brooks to Receive Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence

Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks will receive his Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 2 contest against the St. Louis Rams at Raymond James Stadium, on Sunday, Sept. 14.

Brooks, who will also be inducted into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor and have his No. 55 officially retired that day, will receive his Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence from Pro Football Hall of Fame President David Baker during a special halftime ceremony.

The Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence, created by Kay® Jewelers, is one of three iconic symbols that represent the elite status of being a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Brooks received his Hall of Fame Gold Jacket on the eve of his enshrinement in Canton, and unveiled his Bronzed Bust during the Enshrinement Ceremony. All three symbols will be displayed during the ring presentation on Sunday afternoon. He will wear his Hall of Fame Gold Jacket and his Bronzed Bust will be temporarily removed from the Hall of Fame and shipped to Tampa for the Ring of Excellence ceremony.

"We are thrilled to be the Official Jewelry Store of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and honored to provide Derrick with his Ring of Excellence," said Ed Hrabak, President, Kay® Jewelers. "Derrick’s Ring of Excellence reflects the incredible achievement of enshrinement while also celebrating his unique career. The ring features intricate detail and state-of-the-art craftsmanship, from the “stadium effect” created by the outer diamonds to completely customized sides featuring his name, years in the league, position and even an engraving of his Hall of Fame bust."

Brooks was enshrined into the Hall of Fame of Saturday, Aug. 2 along with Ray Guy, Claude Humphrey, Walter Jones, Andre Reed, Michael Strahan, and Aeneas Williams. He became the third member of the Buccaneers franchise to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, preceded by Lee Roy Selmon (1995) and Warren Sapp (2013). Brooks is the 24th linebacker to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Brooks was drafted as the 28th player overall in the 1995 NFL Draft and quickly established himself as a leader who helped transform a once downtrodden defense into one of the most dominant defensive teams of his era. Brooks was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2002, the same season in which the Bucs captured their first Super Bowl title. An 11-time Pro Bowl pick, Brooks was named All-Pro six times and selected to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2000s.

Brooks reflected on his career and life during his enshrinement speech in August.

“Now to talk about who I am, the man Derrick Brooks that stands before you as a servant leader. As I said before, as a servant leader I just want to do the best I can to make something better than it is when I come in touch with it,” he stated from the Enshrinement stage.

Class of 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence Presentations

Walter Jones – (Kickoff Weekend) Green Bay at Seattle, Thursday, Sept. 4 | Video | Photos
Claude Humphrey (Kickoff Weekend) New Orleans at Atlanta, Sunday, Sept. 7 | Photos
Andre Reed – (Week 3) San Diego at Buffalo, Sunday, Sept. 21
Michael Strahan – (Week 9) – Indianapolis at New York Giants, Monday, Nov. 3
Aeneas Williams – (Week 11) – Detroit at Arizona, Sunday, Nov. 16
Ray Guy – (Week 12) – Kansas City at Oakland, Thursday, Nov. 20