ISU’s Dason Brooks dazzles in homecoming breakout performance

POCATELLO — Sophomore Dason Brooks was brought to Idaho State University to play linebacker, contempt having played moving backmost for overmuch of his younker shot life.

After complete a twelvemonth of pushing for his opportunity to get a chance, Brooks sewage his first extended look Saturday against Southern Utah University. On 8 carries, Brooks ran for a team-high 136 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown that displayed his eye-catching operation of spot and speed.

Bengal caput coach Cody Hawkins said astir that operation aft nan game.

“Dason Brooks is simply a beingness specimen,” Hawkins said. … “His beingness stature is impressive, he’s a large feline and he’s sewage nan fastest 10-yard connected our team. … He tin get up and spell pinch nan champion of them.”

After nan game, Brooks joked that he was going to “hold off” for now erstwhile asked if he had plans of asking to move backmost to nan protect broadside of nan ball.

“I’m having a batch of nosy astatine moving back,” he said.

Dason Brooks (left) and sophomore information Jayden Bell reply questions pursuing ISU’s homecoming triumph Saturday. | Kalama Hines, EastIdahoNews.com

Hawkins was hired arsenic ISU’s caput shot coach past year, erstwhile Brooks was a freshman. The Chandler, Ariz. autochthonal said that nan caller coach held one-on-one entranceway interviews pinch each his existing players upon presence successful Pocatello. During his interview, Brooks said, he discussed his liking successful returning to his ball-carrying roots — but Hawkins turned him down.

Brooks credits spot and conditioning coach Jeff Pitman pinch pushing nan schedule of moving him into nan violative backfield.

Hawkins did not disagree, adding that Brooks was stuck astatine nan bottommost of nan extent floor plan astatine linebacker, owed successful ample portion to nan engineering major’s demanding people schedule.

Eventually, nan intrigue of Brooks’ beingness gifts became excessively overmuch to ignore.

“We tried to fig out, ‘gosh, tin we travel up pinch a package wherever we tin conscionable manus this feline nan shot and fto him beryllium an athlete,'” Hawkins said.

Brooks gained 10 yards connected 3 carries successful ISU’s Week 1 nonaccomplishment to Oregon State. He followed that up pinch 5 carries for 29 yards and 2 carries for 9 yards against Western Oregon and North Dakota, respectively.

Then, he burst onto nan segment pinch his awe-inspiring capacity successful beforehand of a raucous homecoming crowd Saturday, driving nan Bengals to a 38-28 victory.

Kalama Hines, EastIdahoNews.com

Hawkins referred to Brooks’ skillset arsenic a moving backmost arsenic being “very green,” adding that nan caller limb needs to amended successful his walk protection.

“But you springiness that feline nan shot and he is reliable to bring down, and he is explosive,” nan coach added.

Brooks agreed that he does has immoderate fine-tuning that would amended his wide game, but said that his abilities pinch nan shot successful his hands are overmuch much natural.

“It feels a batch much instinctual than linebacker was,” he said. … “I’m ever fresh for what’s going on.”

The Bengals and their newest violative limb are backmost astatine location Saturday. They will big rival Montana State Saturday pinch kickoff scheduled for 4 p.m.