Ryan Clark has had his share of powerful moments on The Pivot Podcast, but nothing prepared him for sitting across from Greg Brooks Jr., a former LSU captain. Sadly, Brooks’ NFL dreams were cut short by a life-altering brain tumor. And for Clark, a fellow LSU alum and former NFL star, this wasn’t just another interview; it was so personal that he ended up crying like a baby by the end of it.
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At just 23 years old, Brooks was a rising star at LSU, named team captain in August 2023, and regarded as one of the program’s top NFL prospects. But just weeks into the season, he began feeling off — dizzy, nauseous, and disoriented during practice.
Despite reporting his symptoms daily, team trainers allegedly dismissed it as vertigo. It wasn’t until more than a month later that he was finally referred to a neurologist. The diagnosis was devastating: a brain tumor.
Emergency surgery soon followed. Though the operation saved his life, it left him with permanent damage. Brooks suffered multiple strokes, losing control over basic functions like speech and movement. The young safety, who once led LSU’s defense, was now relearning how to eat, walk, and talk.
In a bid to get his story out and help young athletes undergoing brain surgeries, Brooks Jr. joined Ryan Clark’s podcast as a guest, marking his first long-form interview since the surgery.
Once Brooks Jr. left the room after inspiring the world with his story for nearly 30 minutes, Clark broke down uncontrollably. “It’s just hard seeing him like that, man,” Clark admitted through tears.
“When I saw him in the hospital, he couldn’t speak. And now to sit across from him? It’s surreal. But it also makes me angry. That baby didn’t deserve this,” added the former safety.
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What hit Clark the hardest was Brooks Jr.’s calm spirit. No bitterness. No resentment. Just gratitude for being alive.
“The hardest part for me is that he has no anger about it. He’s so happy for everything he has. He’s so happy for how far he’s come…. How are you able to not put that anger and that hurt and the things you feel about the way he’s been treated on him, so he could still have that light?”
Greg Brooks Sr. answered that question. He detailed his son’s struggles, including the silence from LSU’s coaching staff — and what it felt like to watch his child play football with a tumor.
“You don’t think that kid suffered, man? You don’t think it hurt him to see all his friends’ success? To not hear from your head coach in over 17 months? Seventeen fu**ing months… that’s hurtful, man.”
In that studio, Ryan Clark didn’t just see a player whose career ended. He saw a young man fighting every day — and choosing grace over grief. And also a living reminder of just how much of a gruesome sport football is.
