Falcons linebacker Keith Brooking said he had arthroscopic knee surgery in January to repair damage that he said he should have had fixed during the Falcons' 2007 season. He said he is healed and feels so good that he will run the final 1.1 miles of the ING half-marathon in Atlanta on March 30 with 300 middle schoolers who earned the opportunity through fitness-based initiatives.

Brooking, a 10-year veteran of the Falcons and the NFL, enters offseason workouts Monday as one of the few remaining players from the 2004 team that played in the NFC championship game. He spoke with the AJC Falcons beat writer Steve Wyche last week about his on- and off-field work and dealing with another round of franchise upheaval.

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Keith Brooking was a Falcons' first-round draft choice. The 10-year veteran had 2 sacks and 110 tackles last season.

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Q: How did you get involved with Run for Something Better and the ING Marathon?

A: ING approached me about doing it with my foundation. The emphasis of my foundation, we give running shoes and athletic shoes to needy kids. They went to 19 middle schools in Atlanta and Decatur and they gave those kids a challenge. They had the kids run 12 miles over a certain period. Three hundred kids did that and are going to run the final 1.1 miles — the net of the half marathon — with me.

The initiative is obesity is a problem with youths in the United States and this, along with my foundation, we're trying to encourage them to gain habits at an early age to stay fit.

Q: You are one of the few remaining players left from the 2004 team. How is it going through another round of sweeping personnel and coaching changes?

A: It seems like we've been saying it the past couple years. We dealt with a very tough situation last year and moving forward is not going to be easy. It is what it is. I was talking to Lawyer Milloy — he's the only guy older than me [he laughs] — about it. We're two guys who've been in this game for a long time and we've overcome adversity. We have to be very positive examples to the young guys.

One good thing is in the NFL these days, you can turn it around in the blink of an eye with a few moves and great drafts. There's an example of that every year, no matter how young or old a football team is. We have to put last year behind us. You can drown in your sorrows all day, but that's not going to do us any good.

Q: You've seen the team part with Pro Bowlers Alge Crumpler, Rod Coleman, Warrick Dunn and DeAngelo Hall. How was that?

A: That's the bad part of the game when you lose guys like that. You just have to understand that it's going to happen to all of us. It's tough to lose guys like that. I've gone through a lot of battles with those guys for a lot of years. They're also great human beings. We just have to pick up the pieces, move on and wish those guys well. I'll be following those guys wherever they are for the rest of their careers and hoping they prosper. I have to believe in our personnel people that they're making the right decisions and doing what's best for our football team. In talking to them I believe that's the case.

Q: Your thoughts on new coach Mike Smith?

A: Coach Smith, I love his philosophy. I love his mentality. I think he's a nuts-and-bolts guy. He's not a real-complicated guy when it comes to football. He has a very simple plan. So many people try to complicate things too much. Simplicity is what he brings to the table. He just wants tough, physical hard-nosed players.

Q: The team has 10 draft picks and a lot of those guys are going to have to play a lot right away. What about dealing with that hand at this point in your career?

A: I know guys are going to be looking at me and leaning on me, and I'm going to do things the right way. I have a great partner besides me in Lawyer, who believes the same thing. We've got to get as many people as possible to get on board. If not, stay behind. We don't need you.

Q: Brian VanGorder, who you openly hoped would get the defensive coordinator job, did. He said he wants to keep you at middle linebacker. How do you think he's going to best utilize you?

A: I told him he needs to get me about two or three 350-pounders, put them in front of me and coach them to grab the guys in front of them and let me run [he laughs]. I don't know if that's going to happen, but that would be great. It's going to be a friendly defense for linebackers. I know that our linebackers will be able to play fast and make plays.