By Hank Robichaud
Brooks Ringer, a 19-year-old freshman quarterback from Orem, Utah, recently had an amazing game against Phoenix College, on Sept. 22 completing 22 of 30 passes and throwing for 457 yards.
This performance of Ringer earned him NJCAA Offensive Player of the Week.
Ringer moved here this year to be a part of the Aztecs’ football program. A short time (two games) after the move, Brooks was named the starter and he did not look back.
“I had a great battle between the two, and that was really hard,” said Glenn Posey, Pima’s offensive coordinator. “In the first game, Maquis started the first quarter and Brooks came in in the second. We did that the second game, too, and they were neck and neck. Then the third game, he took full grasp of the job, and as a coach that’s what you want.”
“Brooks has good physical tools and it was a coaches’ decision,” Posey continued. “It was mine, and I screwed it up but then he fixed it.”
Brooks made it easy for the coaching staff to make the call with his performance during the Phoenix game.
“I’m thankful for Pima for giving me an opportunity to come and play here,” Ringer said. “First couple months here have been a big learning experience for me, and I have been blessed to meet a ton of great people here and I’m grateful.”
In the game against Phoenix Community College, Ringer had a big day, slinging the ball and connecting for five passing touchdowns and an 8-yard rushing touchdown.
With Ringer’s play and with the offense virtually being unstoppable in the game, it allowed for the defense to play a little more freely.
“My name may be the one showing up with all those stats sheets, but what they don’t show is the O-line throwing blocks all night and my receivers catching the ball,” Ringer said. “It was really just a solid team effort as an offense.”
Brooks is a consummate team player. It can be seen by the way he carries himself on and off the field. Even when he has a great performance, he always puts his teammates first.
“Like Coach Monaco always says, ‘I am nothing without my team and my coaches,’ and I just wanted to echo that and say that I am nothing without my teammates and my coaching.”
This just highlights his unselfish nature and his team-first mentality.
“He just knows what to do and he’s smart, so if coach calls a play that isn’t going to work he will audible it and change the whole play and then he’s just an all around smart guy,” said Larry Rembert, a sophomore wide receiver.
The quarterback needs his team to believe in him and buy into his play to be successful as a unit. As any good quarterback, the coaches definitely have Brooks’ back.
“He has been steady Eddie throughout, and as a quarterback in the film room he does a great job he is studying his playbook he does everything a coach asks of a player,” Posey said. “He has been very open. He communicates with the guys the offensive line the running backs all of it.”
His adjustment from Utah came with some bumps in the road, as moving from one place to another can result in some difficulties.
“It’s hard not seeing your parents, but at least we live in a time that we can just pick up the phone and call them,” Ringer said. “I can call my dad whenever I need advice or things like that.
“Another thing is definitely adjusting to the heat 24 hours of the day because in Utah it’s only hot from 12 to 3; then it cools off from there.”
Considering that football is the ultimate team sport, Brooks fits in perfectly.
Brooks looks to keep adding to his performance week in and week out, trying to get as many wins as possible.
Ringer and the Aztecs are preparing for the next game, which will take place Oct. 20 against Air Force Preparatory Academy.
Adding in his performances from games as the season goes along with story. Also going to add more stats from last saturday when I get updated stat sheet.