Curtis Brooks, one of three Cincinnati Bearcats players who was in the program before Luke Fickell became head coach, smiled and shook his head when he heard the question.
When he chose to return for his sixth season, did he expect to be playing in the College Football Playoff?
“Definitely not,” the 6-foot-2, 285-pound defensive tackle said. “Just wanted to come back, repeat as AAC champions and then go out and have a great year. This, right here, is special. Definitely special.”
Brooks, a Danville, Virginia native, was on the ground floor before the Bearcats ascended into a team that crashed the College Football Playoff.