On Friday Rutgers offered Tampa (Fla.) Gaither three-star linebacker DeCalon Brooks.

Rutgers has a history of recruiting success in the Tampa Bay area dating back to the Greg Schiano Era. One of Rutgers top playmakers on the current roster, Janarion Grant, is from Pasco high school, just outside Tampa.

Recruiting out of state can be all about who you know and in this case, when Rutgers assistant Shane Burnham extended an offer to Brooks, things began to come full circle.

You see, DeCalon Brooks is the son of NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks. The elder Brooks went to school at Florida State. The linebacker coach at FSU that signed Derrick Brooks was Wally Burnham - the father of current Rutgers defensive line coach Shane Burnham.

Wally Burnham coached Brooks for three seasons at FSU. During that time Brooks would win ACC player of the year (1993), the Lombardi Award (1993) and a National Championship (1993). Brooks would eventually go on to become a first round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and eventually into the NFL Hall of Fame.

Shane Burnham hopes to keep that legacy going by signing DeCalon Brooks, who plays the same position his father. This is Burnham’s first year at Rutgers, but prior to that he was known as an excellent recruiter in the Tampa area during his 7 seasons at Iowa State.

Rutgers will have a shot at Brooks, as he has made it clear he’s going to make a decision based on the best fit for himself and not simply picking the school his father attended. Rutgers will likely visit Brooks one more time during the Spring Evaluation Period. They’ll also have an opportunity to work with him at their Tampa satellite camp with Sound Mind Sound Body.