Sylmar’s Brookins Carries Tune as Well as the Ball

Whether he is in church Sunday morning or on a football field Friday night, Tobaise Brookins is always singing the praises of someone else.

The praiseworthy Brookins, a senior running back at Sylmar High, is a main reason the Spartans (7-1, 6-0 in East Valley league play) have claimed back-to-back league titles.

Brookins has rushed for 100 or more yards in six games this season.

“Everyone has to play a part (in order to win),” Brookins said. “And, I’m just doing my part.”

Brookins is gifted off the football field as well, as he discovered at the age of 10 when he began to sing gospel.

“I’m pretty good, I guess,” Brookins said of his singing. “But I think I run better than I sing.”

Henry and Laura Brookins, Tobaise’s maternal grandparents and legal guardians, got their grandson involved with the church choir in an effort to keep Tobaise off the street and out of trouble. He is thankful his grandparents turned him into a choirboy.

“It’s one of those things that they make you do when you’re younger, and then, all of a sudden, you realize that you like it,” Brookins said of his singing.

It did not take Brookins long to realize that he liked to run with the football. Since his youth football days it has been one of his favorite pastimes. It also is something he takes very seriously.

“His work ethic is phenomenal,” Sylmar Coach Jeff Engilman said.

Brookins spends two hours a week at choir practice and approximately nine hours on the football field. Some of that time is spent working one on one with assistant coach Darryl McIntyre, whom Brookins considers a father figure.

“He took me under his wing a long time ago,” Brookins said.

The workouts are paying off. Brookins’ most recent performance was a season best--and the second-best game of Brookins’ career. The 6-foot, 180-pound tailback rushed for 221 yards in 27 carries and scored four touchdowns to lead the Spartans to a 34-13 victory over previously undefeated Birmingham last week.

The victory enabled Sylmar to clinch a share of the league title for the second consecutive year. The Spartans can claim the title outright with a victory over winless North Hollywood on Friday.

A distinct running style has helped Brookins gain the attention of college scouts, according to Engilman.

“(Recruiters) think he’s one of the best north-south runners to come out of the area since Steve Broussard,” Engilman said.

Broussard, a former player at Manual Arts High and Washington State, plays for the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL.

“Toby’s style of running reminds you a lot of a Marcus Allen-type runner,” Engilman said. “He’s not going to overpower you, or even outrun you a lot of times, but he is going to make you miss him and he’s going to get his yardage.”

Brookins has rushed for 1,037 yards in 165 carries and has scored 16 touchdowns this season. He has scored 100 points, more than any other City Section player in the region.

College scouts started taking notice of Brookins last year when, as a junior, he rushed for 1,674 yards and 20 touchdowns in 282 carries.

Cal, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Stanford, UCLA, and Washington have made inquiries. Recruiters from Oregon and USC came to see Brookins against Birmingham.

“He’s got at least 40 schools who are very, very interested in him,” Engilman said. “I believe most schools are recruiting him as a running back, but some want him as a receiver or a (defensive back).”

Where would Brookins like to be next year?

“Everyone knows I like Notre Dame,” Brookins said. “I wear ND hats all the time.”

As a sophomore, Brookins barely exceeded the minimum requirement of 700 for an NCAA Division I scholarship on his first attempt, scoring 720. He said he will take the test again in December in an attempt to increase his score and his value as a recruit.

Brookins is uncomfortable when singled out as a game’s top performer because he knows that the offensive line often dictates his success. He would much rather talk about the play of his front five linemen than his big-yardage gains.

He can’t talk for three minutes without saying phrases like “team unity” and “family tightness.”

And that’s a tune Engilman likes to hear from his star running back.

“It’s like (assistant coach Darryl) McIntyre says, ‘You’re as weak as your weakest link.’ And that’s the truth,” Brookins said. “It’s not about who scored, it’s about who wins.”