GREG BROOKS’ initiative is special.
FAYETTEVILLE — It looks like Greg Brooks Jr. is emerging as the University of Arkansas’ top punt return choice, mostly based on Brooks’ initiative.
“Greg came in this summer and said two things I didn’t know about him,” Arkansas special teams coordinator Scott Fountain said. “He said, ‘My dad played in the NFL,’ which was kind of interesting. And he said, ‘Coach, I want to play on more special teams for you.’ A lot of kids are not always that way.”
Fountain said he asked Brooks, who plays in the secondary, how many plays per game he was averaging. Brooks said around 70.
“He said, ‘Coach, I’ll play on all four units.’ That’s the kind of attitude our football team has had, which is good,” Fountain said. “We’re not going to play him on all four units. We can’t. I told him that. But he also enlightened me and said, ‘Coach, I can catch the ball. I want to return punts.’
“So, we started working this summer, and it’s been a good pickup for us. He’s a guy that can do that.”
Fountain said Brooks can field the ball, which is the most important element of returning punts.
“But I also feel like your best punt returners are guys that are a little bit dangerous back there,” Fountain said. “They field the ball well. They might not field it as well as the other guy, but they’re going to be a difference-maker when they touch the football. That’s what we’re trying to find in that position.”
Arkansas punt returners have earned acclaim for a couple of plays: Ken Hatfield’s punt return touchdown against Texas in 1964, and Joe Adams’ circus return for a touchdown against Tennessee in 2011.
Fountain said he’s shown the Adams’ highlight to the team.
“We want to get back to that,” Fountain said.