[media-credit name=’Ben Smidt’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]It’s no surprise that safety Robert Brooks is enjoying a breakout year.

After seeing action in 38 of 39 games during the past three football seasons, Brooks was poised to play an integral role for the talented UW secondary in his senior campaign.

After suffering a hamstring injury during fall camp, however, Brooks’ season changed dramatically. The senior spent the first two weeks on the bench as sophomore Johnny White took over the starting job at strong safety. Instead of emerging from the shadows in his final season, Brooks was forced to fight for playing time.

But the resilient safety was not discouraged. Undaunted by the challenge before him, Brooks did not let the injury diminish his competitive drive.

“Well, I really had a lot of support from teammates here, from my family and the coaches, and everybody really saying, ‘Hey, just hang in there,'” Brooks said. “Even the training staff, they said, ‘Just hang in there, we’re going to get you better.'”

While White stepped into the spotlight in the Badgers’ first two games, Brooks waited in the wings, keeping his mental game sharp as his body returned to playing condition.

“In the meantime, Coach B. was on me, Coach Bielema and all the other coaches, ‘When you’re not in, make sure you get mental rest,'” Brooks said. “I didn’t want to fall behind mentally, so I wanted to get back to where I was physically, and that’s what I did.”

Although White performed well in the starting role, Brooks impressed the coaching staff with his work ethic during practices and fought back into the starting lineup. After two weeks on the sideline, Brooks was named the starter at strong safety in week three when the Badgers traveled to Tuscon, Ariz., to take on the Wildcats.

“I guess just doing the little things each and every day, just trying to get better each and every day,” Brooks said of how he managed to distinguish himself. “There’s always something I can get better at, that’s what I tried to pick out during camp. Once I got healthy, they realized that I was trying to get better every day, so I made the lineup.”

The Carrollton, Texas, native made an immediate impact, picking up four tackles in his first game as a starter. Since then, Brooks has emerged as an impact player. The safety has averaged 5.5 tackles per game and has registered eight tackles twice since earning the starting job.

At 5-foot-10, 186 pounds, Brooks has delivered punishing blows on significantly larger receivers. Though he may not be physically intimidating, Brooks has become an intimidating force on the field.

The diminutive safety has used his powerful tackling to create a number of key turnovers this season. He currently leads the Big Ten in forced fumbles, with three in six games.

Brooks’ fourth-quarter hit on Purdue’s Kyle Orton forced the fumble that led to cornerback Scott Starks’ game-winning touchdown in the Badgers’ dramatic victory over Purdue in West Lafayette. The play, which was named the ESPN “Game-changing play of the week,” may have been the single most important defensive play of the season for Wisconsin.

Brooks’ hit gave the Badgers the win that placed them in sole possession of the conference lead as the only undefeated team in the Big Ten. It also symbolized the spirit that allowed Brooks to battle back after losing the starting job in preseason camp.

On the play, Orton got past Brooks and was on his way to a first down that would have allowed Purdue to continue running down the clock with less than three minutes remaining. Brooks ran down Orton and delivered the hit that shifted the balance of power in the Big Ten.

“I think it is symbolic of how our defense has played and the things that happen when you play that fast, and when you play with effort, and you keep, you’ve got guys that are cranking it up all the time,” head coach Barry Alvarez said of the play.

With plays like his heroic hit on Orton, Brooks has earned the respect of his teammates and coaches. Since winning the starting spot in week three, Brooks has become a fixture in the starting lineup, playing with unrelenting intensity and desire. Like fellow safety Jim Leonhard, Brooks has overcome his small stature with effort and intelligence.

“Robert Brooks plays 115 miles per hour every single play of the game no matter what,” cornerback Brett Bell said. “He knows what he’s doing, he comes every play and he does his job. He’s a phenomenal safety.”

Brooks has become a key component in the top-ranked pass defense in the conference. He and the Badgers have allowed just 147.2 yards per game through the air, 25.2 fewer yards than the nearest team in the conference.

Brooks, however, is still not satisfied.

“I don’t know if we’ve shut teams down,” Brooks said. “If we shut teams down, I guess they’d have zero yards passing, but we just really try to keep things in front of us. If you give up big plays, obviously you’re not going to win. We just try to execute the defense called each and every time. Everybody knows they have a responsibility; you just have to execute that.”

Since week three, Brooks has executed his responsibility as well as any member of the UW secondary.