Under the Helmet: Shannon Brooks - University of Minnesota Athletics

Shannon Brooks has made plenty of noise on the football field in his years with the Gophers. And he’s also making a different kind when he’s away from it.

The senior running back says his second passion is music, and he’s been honing his craft for years.

“I come from a family that really enjoys music a lot and I grew up in a house where we listened to music all the time, every day, all day,” Brooks said. “It gives us energy.”

Brooks said it all started when he was a young boy growing up in Georgia. His stepfather would have friends over and Brooks would join them in the basement, hanging out and freestyling.

He started to record his own music in high school and took it to a new level once he got to college.

“My freshman year, it was like the first time I got in a real studio, and I made a few songs with some of my teammates,” Brooks said. “After I’m done with football and when I’m not working out or anything, I just go back home and make music. It inspires me to talk about life.”

Brooks has been through quite a bit in the course of his college career, with injuries limiting his playing time in each of the past two seasons.

Now healthy and in his final year at Minnesota, Brooks is once again running around and through defenders on his way to the end zone.

He credits music for giving him a release and as a means to deal with all that he has faced, whether he’s just tuning in or creating his own.

I come from a family that really enjoys music a lot and I grew up in a house where we listened to music all the time, every day, all day. It gives us energy.

“Listening to the stories that some of the artists tell, it’s relaxing and you can really relate to them,” Brooks said. “If something’s going wrong, I can speak my feelings on the music, so I like doing that as well.”

His hobby has also served as a team bonding activity. He has recorded a few songs with defensive lineman Winston DeLattiboudere, who also has his own repertoire he has produced.

For Brooks, there’s a certain satisfaction that comes with producing music, just like football.

“The most fun part is creating your own songs and your own lyrics about the stuff you’ve been through,” Brooks said. “It’s cool to hear it after it’s all done, especially if it’s good and you’re good at it. It’s a good feeling.”