Jonathon Brooks didn’t just get into the end zone on Friday. He turned a preseason touchdown into a deeply personal moment for himself and his family.
The Carolina Panthers running back finished off a seven-play, 58-yard opening drive with a 1-yard score in the team’s 34-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the celebration told the whole story. Brooks touched the tattoo honoring his late father, James “Skip” Brooks, then pointed toward the sky.
Afterward, Brooks said the moment hit harder than any normal preseason play. “A lot of excitement,” Brooks said afterward, describing the moment as “pretty amazing” while crediting his faith and perseverance.
“I know it doesn't really count for the books, but for me, it's everything,” he added. “It's something that me and my father have talked about since I was younger.”
That reaction made sense given how much Brooks has had to push through just to get back on the field. Carolina took him 46th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Texas, and he entered the league still working back from an ACL injury in college. He made his debut late that season, appearing in three games with one start and recording 22 rushing yards on nine carries plus three receptions for 23 yards before another knee setback shut him down.
Brooks then sat out the entire 2025 season while continuing his rehab. Now healthy and back in Carolina’s plans for 2026, he has stood out in training camp with the burst and vision that made him such a sought-after prospect in the first place. The touchdown won’t show up in the regular-season record book, but for Brooks, it clearly carried real weight.
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