Zach Brooks had a tough 2023, to put it lightly. Whitworth athletics photo

By Brian Lester
D3sports.com

Zach Brooks remembers looking up in the stands all time last season, before and after games, looking up and envisioning where his dad would have been sitting if he were there cheering him on.

“My dad loved me a lot and made a huge effort to be present at my football games. That was a space and activity we shared together,” Brooks said.

Heartbreak enveloped that space last season. Four months after his dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma, and two days before Zach started fall camp, his father passed away.

“Losing my dad was hard. It challenged me a lot,” the Whitworth linebacker said. “I was carrying his death with me, and it was in the back of my mind all season.”

No one would have blamed Brooks if he had stepped away from the game, if he told his coaches and his teammates he needed a break in 2023. The thought of walking away from the game he loves temporarily wasn’t an option, though, there were times during the Pirates' 10-win campaign where he wondered if he truly had made the right decision.

“I never thought about actually stepping away from football, and yet, there were times where I wondered if I was in the right space,” Brooks said. “Part of the reason for that is I was struggling with some depressive symptoms and experienced minimal emotion, minimal amounts of joy as I was going through the season.”

And there should have been so many reasons for joy. Brooks led his team in tackles (81). He was first-team All-Northwest Conference. The Pirates went 10-1, won an NWC championship  and made it to the second round of the playoffs.

“Despite the team success and individual success, I had lost my joy for football,” Brooks said. “I wondered if it was me not being in the right space or if it was just the feelings that came from losing my dad and trying to process the grief while also playing a football season.”

Whatever it was, Whitworth head coach Rod Sandberg, the 2023 NWC Coach of the Year, was impressed with how Brooks handled everything he was dealing with in life.

“It blows me away, the maturity of Zach Brooks,” Sandberg said. “I think of myself at that age, being in his shoes, and wow, it inspires me to be better at age 55. He’s just a winner. His faith impacts who he is and his character, and how he approaches life. He’s what you want your sons to grow up to be.”

Sandberg said when Brooks lost his dad, the team was there for him and did what it could to support him through one of the toughest moments in his life.

“You just want to love him but give him space,” Sandberg said. “We wanted him to know we care about him and were praying for him, and that we would do anything for him. I think that took a lot of pressure off of him.”

At the same time, Brooks was determined to stay on the field.

“He was a warrior. He didn’t want to miss time. He knew his dad wouldn’t want him wallowing around,” Sandberg said. “His dad never missed a game and he knew how much him playing college football meant to his dad. So he wanted to honor that.”

More than a year later, Brooks is still honoring his father, giving it his all every time he steps onto the field. He’s a team leader once again on the defensive side of the ball, racking up a team-best 99 tackles for a 9-0 Whitworth team.

“I’m having a lot of fun this year, and I’m grateful for the success and getting to play one last time with my brothers,” Brooks said.

And the joy is back.

“I’m blessed to have fun and experience the joy of playing football again,” Brooks said. “At the end of last season, I had questions as to whether I lost my love of football or if I was just struggling with loss in general.”

As much joy as Brooks has found in playing the game and making life miserable for opposing offenses, he’s perhaps found even more joy in being a leader.

“One of the most special parts of this year is investing in the younger players, having time to give back to the program,” Brooks said. “Success on the field is great, but the most important thing to me is the relationships I’ve built and sharing my story with them. I want to leave the program better than I found it and just give back to a program that has given me so much.”

Sandberg said there is no question Brooks has been a difference maker.

“He’s one of the brightest on the team and gets it done in the classroom,” Sandberg said. “He is a team captain, and it shows how well respected he is. He makes everyone around him better for who he is and how he lives his life.”

Brooks started playing football in the fifth grade. He was inspired after watching it on television, and of course, his dad played football as well.

Whitworth just felt like the right fit when he was looking for a college to play at. After making only five tackles in his first two seasons combined, Brooks became a star on the field.

As big of a deal as the games are to him, it’s everything leading up to game day that seems to mean more.

“The majority of your time is spent preparing and practicing, and the actual game time is such a small portion of the experience. The in-between time is one of the most memorable parts for me. You build relationships in those moments and that has contributed a lot to our success.”

This weekend, Whitworth, 9-0 and ranked No. 16 in the D3football.com poll, faces No. 17 Linfield in the Pine Bowl. Linfield is 8-1.

Both teams are 6-0 in the NWC. A conference crown and playoff berth are on the line.

“The playoffs start now,” Sandberg said. “What a great opportunity for our team, that these players have earned. I want them to go be who they are, trust in each other and enjoy the moment.”

Brooks is certainly enjoying the moment and is looking forward to life after football as well. He graduates next year and is getting married in May.

“We have one more guaranteed week (of football). This time is special and I’m doing my best to stay present and enjoy the rest of this chapter,” Brooks said. “I’m also looking forward to next year, graduating, starting married life.

“There are a lot of exciting transitions coming up.”