Ryan Brooks is truly living out a childhood dream as a walk-on basketball player for Auburn University.

“This experience has been awesome beyond words,” Brooks said. “I grew up with all the Auburn jerseys and stuff in my room, and it’s orange and blue to this day. I went to Auburn games dreaming what it would be like to put the jersey on.”

In his second season with the team, the former Houston Academy standout serves a prominent role during practice sessions, especially this year with Auburn dressing out just seven scholarship players due to injuries and redshirt situations.

At 6-foot-6, 215 pounds, Brooks often plays the part of the opposition’s top big man in preparing the Auburn post players for upcoming games.

“Ryan is just a good kid who comes every day with everything he has,” Auburn head coach Jeff Lebo said. “He has the strength to knock around the kids pretty good inside. His attitude has been great all year and his play has made an impact on our team.”

He’s also a hero of sorts to some Dothan youngsters, including 10-year-old Aaron Kirkland.

When one of Aaron’s friends said his favorite basketball player was NBA star Kobe Bryant, Aaron responded by saying his favorite player was Ryan Brooks.

“His freshman year we went up there to see him and it so happened Ryan was on the cover of the poster for the game program,” said Aaron’s father, Kevin Kirkland. “I remember Aaron went up to the concession stand and he told the lady there, ‘We know one of the players,“’ Kevin chuckled.

The poster, autographed by Brooks that day, hangs framed on the wall of Aaron’s room.

Getting a chance
As a prep player, Brooks scored 901 points and had 918 rebounds during his four-year career at Houston Academy. He averaged 10.2 points and 9.8 rebounds as a senior — certainly good numbers, but not good enough to get many looks from colleges.

Houston Academy coach Ron Watson said Lebo became a bit familiar with Brooks before his senior year when the Raiders participated in a team camp on the Auburn campus.

“Coach Lebo was sitting in back of us at the team camp while we were playing on the main floor and Ryan got mad and dunked on someone,” Watson recalled. “I told Coach Lebo, ‘I’ve got the only kid in camp that can dunk and made a 35 on the ACT.’”

Watson sent the Auburn coaches some film of Brooks and they invited the player up for an interview session for potential walk-ons. Watson says Brooks was so impressive in the interview, he was invited to join the team without having to try out on the court.

“They interviewed him for 2½ hours and he called me when he got out and said he had made the team,” Watson said. “I asked him what his number was and he said No. 35.”

Watson then knew for sure Brooks had a spot on the team.

Brooks was an honor student at Houston Academy and is on full academic scholarship at Auburn. He has maintained a 4.0 GPA at Auburn while doing undergraduate work in accounting. He plans on going to law school.

Dedication

Being a player on a major college team can be glamorous at times, but it’s on the practice court that players such as Brooks earn their keep.

“They can be brutal,” Brooks said of the practice sessions. “The first time I got out and scrimmaged with the team, it was like a whirlwind.

“We have particular drills that everybody dreads, one is called the war of rebounds. There’s always a bloody nose or something that comes out of that.”

He understood from the start there would be few chances to see actual playing time in games, but Brooks takes pride in preparing his teammates.

“They (coaches) give us the mandate it’s our job to get them ready,” Brooks said. “They are practicing against me to get ready for Charles Rhodes (Mississippi State), Richard Hendrix (Alabama), players like that.

“They give us about 20 or 30 minutes before practice to learn the other team’s system. There’s a lot to remember and not much time for error.

“My name will never be written in press releases, but there’s all mutual celebration in the locker room.”

Family pride
His parents, Judson and Renee Brooks, are often in the stands for Auburn games. They are Auburn graduates, and beam with pride to see their son playing for the school.

“When I see him out on the court on game night, you can see it on his face how special it is,” Judson Brooks said. “It has been a pretty amazing experience for me and Renee. It’s become a source of pride because a lot of people around here are always asking about him and seeing him on TV.”

It didn’t take long for Ryan to respond when asked what his most memorable moment on the court has been so far.

“I would have to say the No. 1 moment was last year when we were playing Alabama at home on a Tuesday night in a nationally televised game by ESPN,” Brooks said. “I got to go in at the end when we were up 12 points.

“Getting to play in the Iron Bowl of basketball in front of a packed house was special.”

He’s enjoyed having the chance to travel and play throughout the country.

“It was just a couple of years ago I was playing in high school gyms in front of a couple of hundred fans, and now I’m running out in these huge arenas every week in front of thousands,” Brooks said. “Everywhere we go people want to talk to you. It almost humbles you to come back to campus and go to class.”

What’s next
Unless Auburn somehow wins this week’s Southeastern Conference Tournament, which begins today with the Tigers playing Vanderbilt in the first round at 2:15 p.m., the season will come to an end for the Tigers.

Brooks hasn’t decided if he will try to play next year.

“There are a lot of issues at stake,” Brooks said. “I’ve been struggling with injuries. Last year, I fractured my foot and it made me miss six or seven weeks out of the season.

“My senior year in high school I had the same injury on my other foot. Both feet are held together with screws. It’s a lot of wear and tear.”

No matter the decision, Brooks is glad for every moment he’s had with the team.

“It’s impacted me in so many ways,” he said. “I get phone calls and e-mails from people I haven’t seen in years after they’ve seen me on TV.”

And Brooks has pride every time he steps on the court as an Auburn player.

“It blew me away (putting on jersey the first time),” Brooks said. “It still does that I’m representing Auburn.”