Aaron Brooks (American football)
The dynamic Saints quarterback who broke franchise passing records and delivered the franchise's first-ever playoff win with a fearless, gunslinging approach.
Born 1976 (age 50)·American football player·Birthday: March 24·Generation X
Biography
Aaron Brooks arrived in New Orleans via a trade from Green Bay, stepping into an impossible situation as the successor to beloved quarterback Jake Delhomme. He quickly made the job his own with a combination of a powerful arm, surprising mobility, and unflappable cool. In 2000, just his second start for the Saints, he engineered a stunning upset victory over the defending champion St. Louis Rams, launching a new era. His looping, sidearm throwing motion was unorthodox, but it produced results; he broke franchise records for touchdown passes and led the Saints to their first playoff victory in the 2000 season, a moment of profound significance for the long-suffering franchise. Brooks's tenure was a rollercoaster of brilliant flashes and frustrating inconsistencies, embodying the 'River City' spirit of resilient optimism. Though his career wound down in Oakland, he is remembered in New Orleans as the quarterback who made winning feel possible.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Aaron was born in 1976, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Aaron Was Born
The biggest hits of 1976
#1 Movie
Rocky
Best Picture
Rocky
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Aaron's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1976Born
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1981Started school
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1989Became a teenager
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Could drive
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1994Could vote
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Turned 21
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2006Turned 30
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 40
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 50
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the New Orleans Saints to their first-ever playoff victory, a 31–28 win over the St. Louis Rams in the 2000 NFC Wild Card game.
- Set the New Orleans Saints franchise record for career touchdown passes (120), a record that stood for over a decade.
- Threw for over 3,500 yards in three consecutive seasons (2001-2003), establishing a new standard of offensive production for the Saints.
Did You Know?
He is a cousin of former NFL quarterback Michael Vick.
In his first start for the Saints, he threw four touchdown passes against the St. Louis Rams' 'Greatest Show on Turf' defense.
He played college football at the University of Virginia, where he was a teammate of future NFL star Thomas Jones.
“I just try to stay calm and make the plays that are there.”
