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On the day he was introduced as the Atlanta Falcons' first-round choice in the 1998 draft, Keith Brooking evoked the names of Dick Butkus and Jessie Tuggle and Tommy Nobis, when asked for examples of players whose styles he most attempted to emulate.
All old-school middle linebackers. All ferocious defenders whose toughness often superseded their physical talents. Three hard-nosed and grizzled run stuffers who could step up into the "A-gap" hole, square their shoulders, and deliver a blow that knocked a ball carrier back into the middle of last week.
All old-school middle linebackers. All ferocious defenders whose toughness often superseded their physical talents. Three hard-nosed and grizzled run stuffers who could step up into the "A-gap" hole, square their shoulders, and deliver a blow that knocked a ball carrier back into the middle of last week.
