Robert Brazile, the Houston Oilers linebacker who earned seven straight Pro Bowls and a spot on the NFL's 1970s All-Decade Team before his 2018 induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is competing in the Bassmaster Randy Moss Pro Football Hall of Fame Pro-Am on New York's St. Lawrence River. The field is hosted by Randy Moss and includes Calvin Johnson, Joe Thomas, and Ronde Barber. Brazile is chasing smallmouth bass.
The shift from Canton to open water has been gradual. At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, Brazile built a reputation as one of the most disruptive defensive players of his era. These days he rises at 3:30 every morning, colors pictures on an iPad app, bikes to a creek near his Alabama home, and completes a two-hour walk before visiting his parents, both of whom are still living. The routine, he said, is the same method he used to memorize his Hall of Fame induction speech.
The making of Dr. Doom
The nickname has a specific origin. Before a College All-Star Game early in his career, fellow player Richard Wood suggested "Dr. Doom," drawn from the comic-book character. Brazile wasn't convinced until a coach overheard the exchange and reframed it as an acronym: D-O-O-M, Death On Opposing Men. Brazile took the name.
Growing up in Mobile and playing under Bum Phillips gave him early exposure to a particular strain of Southern coaching frankness. Phillips, known for his Stetson hats and Texas drawl, responded to a question about bull riding with a single line: "Rob, that bull will throw you higher than train smoke!" Golf produced a different kind of lesson. As a rookie, Brazile played in the Houston Open alongside Jackie Gleason, teed off before the announcer finished his name, and hit Gleason with the ball. A golf pro warned him on the spot that he could face a lawsuit. Brazile walked away from driving after that and has traveled to charity events since as what he calls a designated putter, carrying six putters.
On the water, his wife is the stronger angler. She fishes exclusively with artificial bait; Brazile uses live bait and describes himself as a catcher. He went walleye fishing with Ray Lewis the year before this event. Competing alongside Randy Moss at the St. Lawrence River, he said, feels like being a kid at a Christmas party.
Brazile remains engaged with the franchise now based in Tennessee under owner Amy Adams Strunk. He expressed confidence in young quarterback Cam Ward, specifically citing work ethic, and pointed to his own 1975 Rookie of the Year season as a frame for what coachability looks like at that stage. His closing message to the fanbase: Titans up.