Paul Finebaum: Greg Brooks Lawsuit a ‘Real Concern’ for LSU Football’s Brian Kelly

LSU head coach Brian Kelly addressed the media last Wednesday for a routine press conference to discuss the NCAA Transfer Portal additions, coaching changes and what lies ahead for the program this offseason.

Prior to providing updates on the state of the program, Kelly took the first three and a half minutes of the press conference to discuss an interview involving former LSU football safety Greg Brooks Jr.

Brooks, a team captain for the LSU Tigers during the 2023 season, underwent emergency brain surgery in September of 2023 to remove a tumor stemming from a rare form of brain cancer known as medulloblastoma.

Fast forward to October of 2024 and Brooks Jr. sued the university and their medical center in a thirteen-page lawsuit for their alleged handling of him within the Louisiana State University program.

The procedures done reportedly led to multiple strokes which has left Brooks ‘permanently disabled’ per the suit. He is now in daily occupational therapy to relearn how to speak, eat, write and more.

During the Good Morning America interview last Monday, Brooks’ father claimed the family has not heard from head coach Brian Kelly and the LSU program in over a year.

“My son almost lost his life, coach. Where were you?” Brooks Sr. said. “Forget about football. Pick up the phone and say you love the kid, man.”

“The one call that I received was, ‘I need you to get here. Your son is having emergency surgery’ tomorrow morning.’ He’s at LSU, one of the best colleges in the United States. Would I have ever thought that his best interests wouldn’t be at heart? No.”

Kelly addressed the comments made by Brooks Sr. during his press conference last Wednesday.

Brian Kelly’s Statement Surrounding Greg Brooks:

“There’s many things I can’t say because it is pending litigation, obviously. But here’s what I can tell you. It is factually incorrect to state that I was not there by Greg’s side through this ordeal. I was there on multiple occasions.

“We had somebody from my staff that was there virtually every single day. We love Greg. We love him for the person that he is, for the competitor that he is and the battler that he is and can only wish him continued progress as he goes through an incredibly difficult time.

“But it was important for me to set the record clear as to my care, my love for Greg Jr. during this very difficult time. Again, I want to be clear that any player that is part of this program, I am going to be involved in making sure that they receive the best care, the best support, and I’m part of that. So, that was extremely important for me to talk about.

“You can question me as a football coach. You can question me in terms of the things that we do on the field. But off the field, as a parent, as a husband, as somebody that is actively involved in every community that I’ve been involved with, this is where the line is drawn with me.

“That comment struck a nerve with me. It hit my heart. Because that’s not why l’m in this business. I’ve been in it for players, will always be in it for our players. It rattled me that somebody could possibly be so factually incorrect in stating that I was not part of Greg Brooks Jr.’s care and support.

“The support was the entire university, the entire community. I needed to make sure that that record was clear.”

Now, SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum has chimed in on the aftermath of what the allegations could cause for Kelly and the LSU program.

“It’s a real concern because that was a situation I remember well, as everyone does, where you had a young man who became very ill,” Finebaum explained. “I don’t know the facts of that. I do know lawsuits. And there’s a lot of stuff thrown up against the wall, so I’m hesitant to get too deep into those woods without knowing any more facts.”

“Kelly has to navigate that,” Finebaum said. “Because I think he probably did have the most momentum after a bad season, he made up for it.”

For Brooks Jr., his goal is to raise awareness for athletes across America.

“I just want athletes in the same spot I was? If something is hurting, tell them. And, if they don’t do anything about it, go get your second opinion,” Brooks Jr. said on Good Morning America this week. “If I would have known that, I wouldn’t be the way I am right now.

“Whatever card I’m deal, that’s the card I’m going to play. And I’m going to make sure I win.”