AUSTIN, Tex. -- Florida State University standout linebacker Derrick Brooks, who will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame later this year, joins University of California gymnast Dr. Sigall Bell, University of Virginia and former New York Giants football standout Tiki Barber, distinguished University of Southern California football back Dick Nunis and Bentley University soccer star Terry Carleton as this year's 2014 inductees into the Capital One Academic All-America® Hall of Fame, as selected by CoSIDA.
DERRICK BROOKS – FOOTBALL
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
It's already been a year to remember for Derrick Brooks, as the former Florida State two-time All-America will receive the game's ultimate honor later this summer with enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. One of the most feared linebackers to play the position, Brooks led the Seminoles to the 1993 national championship under the guidance of legendary head coach Bobby Bowden. The two-time Vince Lombardi Award finalist was just as exceptional in the classroom. A three-time GTE Academic All-America® during his matriculation in Tallahassee, Brooks achieved a 3.89 cumulative grade point average and earned a degree in communications in just three years.
Brooks has been a visible and extremely active member of the Tampa community throughout his career and into retirement. Through his foundation, Derrick Brooks Charities, Inc., he has made it his life's mission to positively impact the lives of youth in the Tampa Bay area. He established "The Brooks Bunch" in 1997 to encourage and motivate children in local Boys & Girls Clubs to excel in the classroom, and that has blossomed into a program that incorporates a classroom element, a panel presentation and behavior and grade assessments.
Brooks has been the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Walter Payton/NFL Man of the Year in 2000, the Bart Star Award in 2003 and the 2004 Byron "Whizzer" White Award named for his fellow Capital One Academic All-America® Hall of Fame honoree.
TIKI BARBER – FOOTBALL
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
As dominant as Derrick Brooks was on the defensive side of the ball, Tiki Barber created that same kind of havoc as one of the NFL's most prolific running backs during a decade of excellence with the New York Giants. Before making his way into the record books in Gotham, Barber enjoyed quite a run in Charlottesville as one of the top all-around performers at the University of Virginia, where he was a two-time first team GTE Academic All-America® and earned a degree in commerce with a concentration in management information systems in 1997.
A native of Roanoke, Va., Barber shined with his twin brother Ronde, who later teamed with Brooks for many years on Tampa Bay's defensive corps, at Virginia, and the two have co-authored eight childrens' books together. Tiki has enjoyed a successful career in broadcasting since his retirement from the Giants, as he currently is a morning host for CBS Sports Radio. He is co-chairman and founder of Thuzio, a company that provides an online platform that connects the public with professional athletes who have achieved the highest levels of excellence in their profession.
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