BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU safety Greg Brooks Jr. has been diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer, weeks after undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor, the school announced on Wednesday.
Brooks, 22, a fifth-year senior who is playing in his second season with LSU after transferring from Arkansas, was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer, The Advocate reported.
Catherine O’Neal, chief medical officer at Our Lady of the Lake Health in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, said in a statement that Brooks underwent “extensive” surgery on Sept. 15 to remove a tumor located between his cerebellum and brain stem, according to the news outlet.
The Brooks family, LSU Athletics, and Our Lady of the Lake Health announced today that Greg Brooks Jr. has been diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer, medulloblastoma.
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) October 4, 2023
Please support the Greg Brooks Jr. Victory Fund as he continues to battle. https://t.co/TUElsbDAIf pic.twitter.com/FJYNIo5Lkj
O’Neal said there is no evidence Brooks’ cancer has spread, ESPN reported.
“Greg’s speech and ability to communicate has been impacted, and although he is responsive and working daily with physical therapy, he will face months of intensive rehabilitation,” O’Neal said. “The surgery was successful in removing the tumor, and there is no evidence that the cancer has spread.
“As he begins rehab in the coming weeks, Greg’s family and care team will determine a treatment plan in collaboration with nationally recognized specialists in this specific form of brain cancer. He has a long journey ahead and will need the full support of our community behind him as he faces this battle.”
A native of Harvey, Louisiana, Brooks, who is a team captain for the Tigers, appeared in LSU’s first two games before missing a Sept. 16 game at Mississippi State, ESPN reported. Coach Brian Kelly later called the player’s condition a “medical emergency,” noting that Brooks had experienced vertigo earlier this year.
When Brooks had the same symptoms and felt dizziness last month, he was examined by doctors, according to the sports news outlet. An MRI revealed that Brooks had a tumor.
“Finally, we said enough’s enough and we got an MRI,” Kelly said on the Southeastern Conference coaches teleconference on Sept. 20, according to NOLA.com. “That’s when the tumor was located. The vertigo was just a symptom of what was obviously a larger issue.”
LSU’s Tiger Athletic Foundation launched The Greg Brooks Victory Fund to help the athlete cover his medical expenses, The Advocate reported.
“Greg has been a daily inspiration to us all,” Brooks’ family said in a statement. “He fights like a Tiger each day and continues to make incremental improvements. We have a long road ahead and are appreciative of the support from our LSU family and Tiger fans. Greg has fans around the world and our phones have been ringing off the hook for the last several weeks with words of encouragement and support. Greg is a warrior! Please continue to keep No. 3, and our entire family, in your prayers.”
Brooks played three seasons at Arkansas, starting 31 games for the Razorbacks before transferring to LSU, according to Sports-Reference.com.
He started 13 games for LSU in 2022 and had 66 tackles, forced a fumble and had two interceptions, ESPN reported.
