Keith Brooking, Atlanta Falcons

Brooking Putting Emotional Victory Behind Him

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No one in the Dallas Cowboys locker room was more thrilled with the team's 37-21 victory over the Falcons last Sunday than Keith Brooking, the linebacker who--if you haven't heard--played for eleven seasons in Atlanta. Pair that tidbit with the fact that, over the course of the season thus far, Brooking has established himself as an emotional team leader, and the veteran's mindset in moving on will likely set the tone for the rest of the locker room.

The key for Brooking and, in turn, the Cowboys, is a balance of confidence and humility--of swagger and, as Brooking terms it, "humble pie."

"This is a game of momentum," Brooking said on Wednesday. "It's a game of confidence, and we just have to keep on eating our humble pie. We played one really solid game across the board, offensively, defensively and special teams, so at the end of the day, you've got to look at the big picture and you just got to keep that going."

Keeping with a season-long trend, Brooking asserted his belief that Dallas has the pieces in place to be a true contender; the key in making this possibility a reality, though, is found in a cliche seemingly as old as the game itself: taking it one game at a time. For Brooking, in the wake of maybe the most gratifying win in his almost 12-year career, this was no easy task.

"We've said all along that we have what it takes here, and we believe that with all of our hearts, but this is a what have you done for me lately league," Brooking continued. "I realize that, and you've got to believe that with all of your heart when you say it, and go out and do it each week, and we've put that one behind us. Trust me, that's hard for me to do.

"I want to keep thinking about that one this last Sunday, but when I walked through these doors today I put it behind me and we got to move on to the Seahawks now."

BY // Wednesday, Oct 28, 2009 at 02:45 CDT