Antoine Brooks Jr. and Chris Payton-Jones were teammates for only 10 games — with the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons in 2023.
In that brief time, Payton-Jones left a lasting impression on someone who now honours his memory in very conspicuous fashion.
Brooks Jr., a third-year linebacker with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, switched to No. 5 after learning Payton-Jones had been killed in a car accident on April 11 in Gainesville, Fla. The former University of Nebraska Cornhuskers cornerback was 30 years old.
“He was a dear guy to me,” Brooks Jr. said. “He showed me how to manoeuvre around the business of football and the fun side of football. He showed me how to play both parts.
“So I’m representing Chris Payton-Jones.”
Brooks Jr. wore No. 33 over his first 10 CFL regular-season games — one in 2024 and nine in 2025 — before his request for a number change was accommodated.
No. 5 was worn last season by defensive end Shane Ray, who became a free agent on Feb. 10 and was not re-signed.
Like Ray, Brooks Jr. is a proud owner of Super Bowl and Grey Cup rings.
Ray won titles with the Denver Broncos (2015) and Toronto Argonauts (2022) before being part of a championship team with Saskatchewan in 2025.
Brooks Jr. was with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams during their championship season of 2021. He played in eight games with the Rams that year.
The previous season, he dressed for four games with Pittsburgh after being selected by the Steelers in the sixth round (198th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The 2020 NFL season was played in empty stadiums due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was still fun, but it wasn’t quite the same without fans in the stands,” Brooks Jr. recalled.
“I love everything about football and the fans are a big part of it. That’s why after my first pick of season (in 2025), I tried to jump in the stands, because that’s what comes with football.”
The 5-foot-11, 215-pound University of Maryland Terrapins graduate registered his first CFL interception on June 28 — a diving effort in a 37-18 victory over the visiting B.C. Lions.
That interception, while impressive, was one-upped by his next pick. On Oct. 3, he scored on an 85-yard pick-six in a 20-13 road victory over the Ottawa REDBLACKS.
Brooks Jr. took it to the house 15 minutes 23 seconds into his first CFL start as a strong-side linebacker. He settled into that position after C.J. Reavis, an All-CFL performer in 2025, was moved to safety due to a rash of injuries at that spot.
Reavis and Brooks Jr. remained at safety and linebacker, respectively, for the remainder of a season that culminated in a 25-17 Grey Cup victory over the Montreal Alouettes in Winnipeg.
When Reavis signed with Ottawa as a free agent in February, Brooks Jr. was immediately installed as the successor to a perennially productive player.
“It means a lot to me that the team trusted me as a player with full capability,” Brooks Jr. said. “I want to be as consistent as I possibly can — as close to great as I can be.
“Honestly, it’s all love for me. I feel loved. I just want to show my brothers how much I love them.”
Brooks Jr. is expected to be on the Roughriders’ opening-day roster for the second time in three seasons with the team.
In 2024, he dressed for a Week 1 game in Edmonton and, while playing primarily on special teams, helped Saskatchewan win 29-21. He spent the rest of the season on the practice roster.
He made his 2025 regular-season debut in Week 4 versus B.C., against whom he registered the aforementioned diving interception.
Along with two picks, Brooks Jr. registered 21 defensive tackles, nine special teams tackles and two sacks in nine-regular-season games in 2025.
Both sacks were against the host Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Oct. 17.
He added a sack against B.C. in the Western Final. Four defensive tackles and two special teams stops were also part of his statistical ledger on Nov. 8, 2025 at a sold-out Mosaic Stadium.
Then came the Grey Cup Game, in which Brooks Jr. recorded five defensive tackles, one special teams tackle and a pass knockdown.
As sweet as it was to win it all, the attention has shifted to the Roughriders’ June 13 regular-season opener — a Western Final rematch with B.C., at Mosaic Stadium. (Tickets are AVAILABLE HERE.)
“To this day, my favourite game is still the Western Final, just because of how loud it was,” Brooks Jr., 27, said with a smile.
“Just having that feeling and knowing that feeling is coming back in the first game of the season, yeah, I’m a little excited.”
