Comptom is still The Ghetto

[Big BpG]

I'm a cowboy fan, so i was at their site lately and I read this article.... read please

OXNARD, Calif. - Jamal Brooks, a California native, looked forward to returning here to his home state to prove himself worthy of making the Cowboys 53-man roster while playing in front of family and friends.

But that excitement died early this week with the tragic shooting death of a good friend.

As if fighting for a roster spot is not enough of an emotional roller coaster, Brooks now fights so stay focused on his goal despite knowing that he will never again see Steven Murphy, a friend who had planned on visiting him soon in Oxnard.

"It's kind of bitter sweet coming back to California," said Brooks, the first-year linebacker from Grenada Hills, Calif. "It was just a random gang shooing down in Compton (Calif.). He was going to take his daughter to see her grandma, and he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. They shot a sheriff, a cop and a couple of people, but only he and his daughter died."

Following Thursday morning's only practice session, Brooks left training camp to visit and comfort Murphy's family before returning on Friday for the team's flight to New Orleans for Saturday's preseason game. The loss has changed Brooks' perspective about the game against the Saints, the team which originally signed him out of Hampton in 2000, before releasing him prior to the season.

While logic would expect Brooks, a linebacker who also plays on special teams, to be primed and ready to prove to his former team releasing him was its loss and huge mistake, his thoughts now are centered on playing for the memory of Murphy, his new inspiration.

"In the beginning, I was really excited about playing the Saints, but now, more so playing in honor of my friend," said Brooks, 6-2, 240 pounds. "It's a little special, but right now it's more important to think of my best friend who just got shot. I've known him since seventh grade. So I'm trying to do this for me, of coarse, but do it to let him know that I'm thinking about him and I'm going to try as hard as I can."

While Brooks mourns Murphy constantly, the way in which he mourns adapts to his surroundings. On the football field, Brooks manages to shut out the pain and set his thoughts solely on accomplishing something his friend can look down on and smile.

In the solitude of his hotel room, however, the pain catches up to him.

"It's not hard to focus on the game because when I'm out here, this is business," Brooks said. "When I'm home, and I have quiet time to myself as I'm reading my plays, it's kind of rough knowing that when I come home….

"He just got finished seeing me play Oakland. Come home, getting ready to schedule him and my two other best friends to come up and see me. As soon as I come up here, they tell me he got shot. It's going to be difficult when I go back today, but I got to keep going."

Brooks has been going since camp started in Wichita Falls, Texas, and the direction he has been going in, according to linebacker coach, George Edwards, is the right one. When Brooks reported to camp, he was just another camp body, destined to make an effort and then go home.

After moving ahead of J.J. Jones on the depth chart, and with the departure of Mawuko Tugbenyoh, who was released recently due to degenerative knee problems, Brooks is now second string and hoping to move ahead of, starter, Dat Nguyn.

"In my heart I knew I should have been second team," Brooks said. "And ultimately, when you come into the league you want to be first team. If they made a decision tonight that, 'Jamal, you're starting this game,' I'll be ready. I've got to prepare for each game like I'm a starter, regardless of where I'm situated; fourth team, fifth team or first team, you still have to play the game."

Now second string going into Saturday's game, Brooks holds more than a memory of his friend.

He holds an opportunity to make the team.

"He's shown the versatility to play inside and outside since he's been in camp, and we've got to see him through the rest of preseason and see how things go," Edwards said. "So far he's done good. He came in late, and did well in his last performance, and we're pleased at what he's done both at linebacker and special teams, so we're excited about him."

A big part of that excitement over Brooks is not only because he is versatile enough to play both linebacker and special teams. He is also versatile enough to play both outside and inside linebacker.

In going and doing whatever he is asked to do, Brooks is showing the Cowboys his passion for making the team.

"The thing about special teams is that it's a job that not a lot of people want to do," Brooks said. "If you're second string, you've got to do something. They can find somebody that can play linebacker, but can you help the team? If you can't play special teams, they're not going to have you stand on the sideline and do nothing."

Just when Brooks thought he had everything on the field figured out, life threw him a curve that has him looking for answers off the field after the sudden death of his good friend.

And now he will find out if this personal loss motivates him into an inspiring performance Saturday against the Saints and for the remainder of camp, or if the weight of his sadness becomes overwhelmingly detrimental to his task at hand.

[Top-Dogg2001]

I'm a cowboy fan too.  Thats messed up but shouldn't this be in the anything goes section.

[Alex_Wreck]

No shit Compton is still fucked up

[West Coast Veteran]

that shit happens in [any ghetto, U.S.A.]...Compton has its ghetto parts so obviously there gonna be still shootings...they got gang shootings in Omaha where white farmer boys pretend to be Crips and Bloods...

[Doggystylin]

that shits messed up

[Don Jacob]

i'm a cowboy fan too (check my picture in the anything goes forum and you'll see my hat)


but that shit is messed up but my neighbor is a cop and he has this list of the 50 most dangerous places to live and Detroit is number one followed by new orleans, houston, san diego, THEN compton, south central, oakland, and then new york

[TheShiznit227]

i'm a cowboy fan too (check my picture in the anything goes forum and you'll see my hat)


but that shit is messed up but my neighbor is a cop and he has this list of the 50 most dangerous places to live and Detroit is number one followed by new orleans, houston, san diego, THEN compton, south central, oakland, and then new york

Ya damn rite D-Town # 1 i grew up in that muh'fucka... We still killin' to retain our # 1 spot...Fuckin' Compton cant keep up wit us...Naw that aint kool that We # 1...

[Don Jacob]

yeah but you gotta remember  los angeles is more cleaned up now since the clinton administration, my neighbor has all the annual official crime area things since like 1972, and it's really been a battle between watts, compton, and new orleans since that time period