Brian Kelly breaks silence on "factually incorrect" accusations by Greg Brooks

Brian Kelly has addressed the allegations made by former LSU safety Greg Brooks Jr. and his father, Greg Brooks Sr., during a recent segment on “Good Morning America.” The coach’s response comes a day after the Brooks family criticized his treatment on TV.

Brooks Sr. noted during the interview on Wednesday, that the LSU coaching staff had not communicated with the family since October 2023. This came after Brooks Jr., an LSU captain, underwent emergency surgery in September 2023 to treat a rare form of brain cancer.

However, on Thursday, Kelly refuted the claims made by Greg Brooks Sr. on “Good Morning America” in a statement provided by The Advocate’s Wilson Alexander, calling them inaccurate. Earlier this year, the Brooks family filed a lawsuit against LSU and the university's medical center.

“There’s many things I can’t say because it is pending litigation, obviously,” Kelly said. “But here’s what I can tell you. It is factually incorrect to state that I was not there by Greg’s side through this ordeal. I was there on multiple occasions.

“We had somebody from my staff that was there virtually every single day. We love Greg. We love him for the person that he is, for the competitor that he is and the battler that he is and can only wish him continued progress as he goes through an incredibly difficult time.”

Brian Kelly explains the need to address the issue

In his statement on Thursday, Brian Kelly noted that he felt the need to clarify certain aspects of the situation following the allegation on “Good Morning America.” He went on to reassure that there will be strict adherence to the best practices in caring for the program players.

“It was important for me to set the record clear as to my care, my love for Greg Jr. during this very difficult time,” Kelly said while speaking further in the statement released.

“Again, I want to be clear that any player that is part of this program, I am going to be involved in making sure that they receive the best care, the best support, and I’m part of that. So, that was extremely important for me to talk about.”

Kelly’s statement offers a different perspective on maintaining contact with the former player compared to that of his family. According to the lawsuit filed by Greg Brooks' family, the surgical procedures resulted in multiple strokes, leaving Brooks permanently disabled.

It was also claimed that he now undergoes daily occupational therapy to relearn essential functions such as speaking, eating and writing. Both LSU and the United Medical Center denied any wrongdoing when the litigation was filed earlier this year.