About Inductee

Nicknamed The Mountain" by his teammates for his participation in a variety of sports, 48-year-old Willard Brooks has been an inspiration for anyone who comes within eyesight of the mammoth 6-foot-9, 265-pound multi-sport athlete. His story began on May 8, 1968 in Centerville, Iowa where he was born as what he called a standard size baby." His birthday horoscope was in some ways a glimpse into the future. As a Taurus, his birth passage read, General sensibility in the areas of both the neck and throat is a characteristic of Taurus. They are more likely to suffer ailments related to these areas." In 1985 at age 17 and a senior at Huntsvilles Johnson High School, Brooks was not an athlete on the schools teams because he chose to work at Pizza Inn instead, but he was an outstanding recreational basketball player. His talents were so obvious that he was recruited by several top-notch basketball programs, including Villanova, Georgetown, and Virginia. He was well on his way to a college education and possibly great playing years in basketball. But everything changed on the cold day of December 20th. Brooks and his two sisters were having a grand time of Christmas shopping at Madison Square Mall. As they left the facility, their car was struck by another auto that ran a traffic signal. Brooks was sitting the backseat and the collision broke his neck at vertebrae C6-C5. He spent several days in a local hospital fitted with the traditional halo brace" on his head. Doctors told him he would be paralyzed for the rest of his life. The idea of being paralyzed was hard to accept," said Brooks, because I was certainly unfamiliar with the knowledge of what that meant." After extensive therapy, Brooks remained with limited function of his arms and total paralysis of his legs. He is a quadriplegic. But his amazing will to live is no more evident than this statement: I dont live my life based on my disability. I live on my ability to be successful." Success is a hallmark of Brooks life. He works for the Missile Defense Agency and has been a part of an array of boards and programs to help promote understanding of people with disabilities and show how the disabled can survive their own misgivings and lead rewarding lives. Brooks, who has two college degrees from Alabama A&M, has helped bring wheelchair athletics to the forefront, not only across North Alabama but also around the world. He has traveled the globe participating in and winning - wheelchair sports in both individual and team events. Ive played every sport I know of," said Brooks. I love to be athletic and love the competition. Ive always felt Im not limited to what I can do in my life." His accomplishments in athletics are unmatched, having won an assortment of national and world championships in both individual and team endeavors. As a member of the U.S. Paralympic teams, he has traveled the world competing many times with and against the best wheelchair athletes on the planet. He was appointed by the Governor of Alabama to the board of the Alabama Developmental Disabilities Council. He won the prestigious Fred Sington Award in 1996 as the states Wheelchair Athlete of the Year. A sports report about wheelchair sports on local TV in 1988 sparked Brooks interest in wheelchair athletics, and his post-accident life has never been the same since. My life got better each day after that," he said. I couldnt push through day-to-day life without athletics." He lives alone and has been living on his own since 1997. He has learned to make adaptations to match his lifestyle. He teaches others with disabilities to make the same sort of changes for the better in their own lives. Late last year, he began a wheelchair basketball program at UAH, persuading participants to recognize discipline, rules, and how they have to adjust to their surroundings. He lives to see others develop. Asked if he is his own inspiration, Brooks said, I want to say yes, but I gain my inspiration from others. I see others like me, and I want them to understand how to make changes. I just consider myself an average Joe, but Im honored to be recognized by this Hall of Fame induction." Willard Brooks, Jr., has climbed the mountain of struggles in a remarkable life. He has never said, What if?" He has always looked forward toward building a championship life for himself. With his induction into the Huntsville-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame, he has placed another important mark on his relentless road to success.