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Brooks English’s lacrosse career almost ended before it truly began. Ahead of his sophomore season in high school, Brooks was waitlisted from Culver Military Academy (Indiana). His older brothers, Sam and Ty, had played for the school’s preeminent lacrosse program and went on to play at the Division I level, but Culver head coach Jon Posner didn’t expect Brooks to make the same level of impact.

“I was honestly done with lacrosse after that,” Brooks said of his thought process at that point.

But Brooks’ fate changed when Posner received a last-minute call from the director of admissions. Brooks was off the waitlist and accepted into Culver.

Brooks took full advantage of that opportunity. After following Posner to powerhouse Lawrenceville, he committed to one of college men’s lacrosse’s winningest programs: Johns Hopkins. Now, a starting senior midfielder for the Blue Jays, Brooks has 11 assists in just five games this season. He’ll be top of mind when No. 10 Syracuse (4-2, Atlantic Coast) travels to meet No. 11 Johns Hopkins (4-1, Big Ten) Saturday.

Brooks’ ability to facilitate scoring opportunities is one of his greatest strengths. In his eyes, he’s always been a pass-first player. That started as a child, when he competed against his brothers, Sam — a former captain at Syracuse who now plays for Premier League Lacrosse’s California Redwoods — and Ty, who’s in his fifth year at No. 5 North Carolina.

Growing up, Brooks had to “feed” his older siblings, Ty said. If it was video games, Brooks had to reluctantly give up his controller. If it was lacrosse, Sam and Ty made flashy plays and scored goals off Brooks’ passes. However, his mother Kim attributed his playmaking ability to hockey, where, as a center, he consistently finished seasons with more assists than goals.

“My hockey coaches would always be telling me to shoot more,” Brooks said. “I’d be right up in the slot, with nobody on me, yet somehow I’d find a way to pass the puck instead of shooting it.”

In 2019, Brooks was ready to let hockey go in favor of lacrosse and aimed to join Culver’s squad, hoping to follow in his older brothers’ footsteps. Posner was tasked with selecting Culver’s final roster. Ty, who’s a year older, was in. Brooks was out.

“I’d say we were doing the Englishes a favor at first,” Posner said about putting Brooks on the waitlist.

Posner admitted how his affection for the English family influenced his decision to consider Brooks. Posner has coached all four sons: Sam, Ty, Brooks and the youngest Sawyer, who’s now a freshman playing at Brown. Yet, after hardly seeing Brooks play, Posner had no expectation that he would be an impactful player because he was undersized compared to his brothers.

Johns Hopkins midfielder Brooks English’s three brothers also play or played Division-I lacrosse. Brooks played his brother Sam twice when Sam represented Syracuse in 2024 and 2025. Courtesy of Brooks English

When a spot opened up in the sophomore class, Brooks received the offer. He and his family rushed back to his hometown, Burlington, Ontario, gathered his belongings and made the almost 10-hour journey back to central Indiana in a single day to be there for registration.

However, joining Culver’s team and making an impact were two vastly different things.

His first season ended abruptly due to COVID-19, and Posner took a new job at the Lawrenceville School (New Jersey). He decided to bring over eight players from Culver, and Brooks was toward the top of his list.

“I just remembered being super pissed off, and I felt like I had people to prove wrong,” Brooks said.

In his first season at Lawrenceville, his 11th-grade year, Brooks transitioned from a solid role player to an Under Armour All-American and a team captain.

“He became our alpha,” Posner said of Brooks.

“No brothers were there. It was a really proud moment for me to watch him grow that way,” Kim also said.

With Brooks on his own, he made significant strides. Enough to receive an offer to Johns Hopkins.

Brooks fell in love with JHU during his first visit. He said the combination of elite athletics and academics, along with the sense of brotherhood he experienced, sold him. He welcomed the opportunity to play at Homewood Field, one of the most historic fields in lacrosse.

Brooks was reunited on the turf with Sam last year when the Blue Jays played the Orange at the Dome on March 9. It was just one more of many times he’s matched up against his brothers instead of with them.

It was a long way from tearing up the grass in the front yard of their childhood home with constant two-on-two lacrosse games. However, Sam and Brooks were used to facing each other because Sam and Sawyer traditionally teamed up against Ty and Brooks growing up.

In the first quarter of that SU versus JHU game, Sam recalled a moment when he was on the wing preparing for the next faceoff. He heard a familiar voice.

“Let’s have a little bit of fun out here.”

It was the pesky younger brother, Brooks, trying to get into Sam’s head.

“It was one of the more fun lacrosse games I’ve ever played in, because I just remember chirping Brooks and him giving it back to us,” Sam said.

Brooks had another brotherly matchup just two weeks ago, when he faced Ty and UNC. And, boy, did he face Ty.

As Ty walked into the locker room after UNC’s previous game, he was approached by one of his coaches, Dave Pietramala. The defensive coordinator informed Ty that he would be responsible for guarding Brooks when they met. Johns Hopkins matched the gameplan for a true brother-on-brother matchup.

Every family member recalled when Ty had an open lane on his right side, but Brooks remained patient and stayed on his brother’s left hip. For a split second, Ty showed his stick, and Brooks took advantage, regaining possession for the Blue Jays.

“I underestimated him a bit there,” Ty said. “And I think that’s the story of him sometimes.”

It was a fitting moment for the overlooked English brother. Brooks had just taken the ball from his brother, Ty — the man who took his spot way back at Culver.

Published on March 5, 2026 at 1:20 am
Contact Jordan: jfendric@syr.edu