British Brooks Bio
British Brooks (born November 18, 1999) is an American professional football player who plays fullback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). Standing 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing around 225 pounds, he wears jersey number 44 and currently holds an active roster spot with the franchise. Brooks played his college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels before joining the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2024.
After going unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft, Brooks signed with the Texans and earned a place on the team’s opening 53-man roster following a strong training camp. He has continued to build his professional resume as a contributor on offense and special teams, working to establish himself as a dependable depth player and special-teams presence for Houston.
Early Life and Background
British Brooks was born on November 18, 1999, in Gastonia, North Carolina, in the United States. He grew up in the same North Carolina community where he would later become a high school football star, attending Ashbrook High School in Gastonia. His upbringing in the region gave him an early and consistent connection to the sport, and Gastonia remained a steady home base as he developed into a college prospect.
At Ashbrook High School, Brooks emerged as a standout running back. Over his final two high school seasons, he rushed for a combined 2,597 yards and 31 touchdowns, demonstrating the workhorse role he would carry into the next level. As a junior, he earned Big South Offensive Player of the Year honors after rushing for 1,253 yards and 16 touchdowns, and he was named first-team All-Big South Conference. Entering his senior year, he was recognized as a preseason WSOC Big 22 standout, and he closed his prep career with 1,344 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, including a career-high 272 yards and four touchdowns in a single game, earning first-team All-Big South Conference honors once again.
Following high school, Brooks chose to walk on at the University of North Carolina, joining the North Carolina Tar Heels college football program rather than accepting other reported opportunities. That decision set the stage for a six-year college journey that included stints as a runner, a special teams contributor, and a captain.
Path to the NFL
Brooks arrived at North Carolina as a walk-on and steadily climbed the depth chart across multiple seasons. As a true freshman in 2018, he appeared in six games and carried the ball seven times for 57 yards, giving the Tar Heels a glimpse of his potential. In 2019, he played in 11 games and scored his first collegiate rushing touchdown against Mercer while also logging work on special teams.
His role expanded in 2020, when he appeared in all 12 games and made his first collegiate start at running back in the Orange Bowl against Texas A&M, finishing the season with 99 rushing yards on 24 attempts. He was also named Special Teams MVP and a team captain that year, signaling the coaching staff’s growing trust in his versatility and leadership.
British Brooks Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
The 2021 season marked Brooks’s true breakout at North Carolina. He played in 11 games, rushing 31 times for 295 yards and four touchdowns. He set a career high with 124 yards on 15 carries against NC State in the season finale and added 72 yards with a 63-yard touchdown against South Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, a score that stood as the longest rushing touchdown in the bowl’s history. He repeated as Special Teams MVP and team captain while contributing six tackles on special teams.
Brooks missed the entire 2022 season because of a knee injury, a setback that tested his patience and recovery. The time away, however, did not end his college career. He returned for his final collegiate season in 2023, ready to reclaim a role in the Tar Heels’ backfield and on special teams.
North Carolina Return and Senior Year (2023)
Back healthy in 2023, Brooks appeared in 12 games with two starts during his final season at North Carolina. He totaled 75 carries for 387 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, while also adding 14 receptions for 73 yards as a receiving option out of the backfield. He rushed for more than 50 yards in four games, including a 103-yard performance in the season opener against South Carolina that earned him ACC Running Back of the Week honors.
Over the course of his college career, Brooks appeared in 52 games for the Tar Heels. He finished with 848 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, while also making 17 tackles on special teams. That mix of offensive production and special teams value helped shape his path to the professional level.
Houston Texans Era (2024–Present)
After not being selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, Brooks signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent. He impressed the organization during training camp and the preseason, doing enough to make the Texans’ initial 53-man roster and officially begin his NFL career.
As a rookie in 2024, Brooks played in five games for Houston before being placed on injured reserve for the remainder of his rookie season. During that time, he recorded one rushing attempt for two yards, one tackle on special teams, and saw action on nine offensive snaps and 79 special teams snaps. Through Week 18 of the 2025 season, his career NFL statistics include 17 rushing attempts for 78 yards at a 4.6-yard average, along with 11 tackles.
Driving Style and Strengths
Brooks is best defined by his physical running style and his willingness to do the unglamorous work. Listed at 5 feet 11 inches and around 225 pounds, he plays with a compact build that allows him to absorb contact and finish runs. His special teams background has also made him a reliable tackler in coverage, while his history as a team captain at North Carolina points to strong communication and leadership skills in the locker room and on the sideline.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Brooks’s signature moments is his 63-yard rushing touchdown in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against South Carolina, which set the record for the longest rushing touchdown in the history of that bowl game. He also recorded a 103-yard rushing performance in the 2023 season opener against South Carolina, a performance that earned him ACC Running Back of the Week honors and helped punctuate his final college season.
British Brooks Career Wins
British Brooks’s career has been built more on incremental progress, versatility, and team contribution than on a long list of headline victories. His most notable statistical milestones have come on the ground at both the high school and college levels, complemented by strong showings on special teams.
North Carolina Highlights
During his time with the North Carolina Tar Heels, Brooks appeared in 52 games and finished with 848 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns, along with 17 tackles on special teams. He set a personal best with 124 rushing yards on 15 carries against NC State in the 2021 season finale and capped that year with a 63-yard touchdown in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against South Carolina. His 2023 season opener against South Carolina produced a 103-yard rushing performance that earned him ACC Running Back of the Week honors.
Other Wins and Performances
At Ashbrook High School, Brooks rushed for 2,597 yards and 31 touchdowns over his final two seasons, including a 272-yard, four-touchdown performance in a single game. He was a two-time first-team All-Big South Conference selection and was named Big South Offensive Player of the Year as a junior, recognition that helped him earn a walk-on opportunity at North Carolina.
British Brooks Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
British Brooks grew up in Gastonia, North Carolina, where he attended Ashbrook High School and developed into one of the area’s most productive running backs. His roots in Gastonia have remained a steady part of his identity as he has moved through college and into the professional ranks with the Houston Texans.
Personal Life
Brooks was born in Gastonia, North Carolina, and is an American by nationality. He has concentrated primarily on his football career since signing with the Houston Texans in 2024, continuing to establish himself in the NFL after his college years at North Carolina.
2025 Season Performance
British Brooks entered the 2025 season as an active member of the Houston Texans roster, holding a role that blends short-yardage and situational fullback work with significant special teams responsibilities. Through the early portion of the schedule, his regular usage on offense has remained measured, with the team leaning on his physical running style in short-yardage packages and as a blocker at the point of attack.
Statistically, Brooks had registered 17 rushing attempts for 78 yards at a 4.6-yard average through Week 18 of the 2025 season, along with 11 tackles that reflect his continued value on special teams coverage units. Those numbers underline his profile as a complementary piece rather than a featured back, but they also show a player who has stayed productive and available across the season.
Looking ahead, Brooks’s outlook in Houston remains tied to his reliability in his defined roles. With a roster that values versatility and special teams play, he has an opportunity to continue earning trust on a week-to-week basis and to further expand his offensive usage as his experience grows. His path from undrafted free agent to active contributor stands as one of the early positive storylines of his professional career.