Brian Westbrook

Infobox NFLactive


currentteam=Philadelphia Eagles
currentnumber=36
currentpositionplain=Running back / Punt returner
birthdate=birth date and age|1979|9|2
birthplace=Washington, D.C.
heightft=5
heightin=10
weight=203
debutyear=2002
debutteam=Philadelphia Eagles
college=Villanova University
draftyear=2002
draftround=3
draftpick=91
pastteams=
* Philadelphia Eagles (2002-present)
status=Active
highlights=
* Walter Payton Award (2001)
* First-team All-Pro selection (2007)
* 2x Pro Bowl selection (2004, 2007)
statseason=2008
statweek=5
statlabel1=Rushing yards
statvalue1=4,979
statlabel2=Average
statvalue2=4.7
statlabel3=Rushing Touchdowns
statvalue3=31
statlabel4=Receptions
statvalue4=361
statlabel5=Receiving yards
statvalue5=3,304
statlabel6=Receiving Touchdowns
statvalue6=25
nfl=WES537220

Brian Collins Westbrook (born September 2, 1979 in Washington, D.C.) is an American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Villanova.

Westbrook has earned two Pro Bowl selections with the Eagles in 2004 and 2007.

Early years

Westbrook attended DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland and was an excellent student and a letterman in football and basketball. In football, as a senior, he was a first team All-League selection, a first team All-Prince George County selection, and an All-State Honorable Mention selection. As a junior, he was a first team All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference selection and an All-State Honorable Mention selection. Brian Westbrook graduated from DeMatha Catholic High School in 1997 with a 3.6 grade point average.Fact|date=February 2008

College career

After DeMatha, Westbrook became a standout running back at Villanova University from 1997-2001 and wore the number 20. Though he battled through several injuries, he holds the all-time NCAA record with 9,512 all-purpose yards, breaking the 9,301 yards accumulated by Brian Shay of Emporia State. In 46 career games, he scored 542 points with 84 TDs, carried the ball 725 times for 4298 yards (6.2 avg.), caught 219 passes for 2,582 yards and gained 2,289 yards and 4 TDs on kickoff returns. Along the way, he established 41 school, 13 Atlantic Ten Conference and 5 NCAA records.

He became the only player in I-AA history to score 160 or more points twice in a career and the first player in the history of college football at any level with 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards in one season (1998). He is one of only two players in Villanova history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season and he accomplished that feat three times.

He was a consensus All-America and two-time A-10 offensive player of the year and was the 2001 recipient of the Walter Payton Award (as the top player in NCAA Division 1-AA). As a senior, he amassed 2,823 combined net yards and scored 29 touchdowns.

NFL career

2002 NFL Draft

Despite his dominance in college, NFL teams were hesitant to draft him in the 2002 NFL Draft for three reasons: his small size (he listed at only 5'8", 200 lb (91 kg)), his injury history (he missed an entire college season with a knee injury), and the fact that he did not play college football for a NCAA Division I-A school. Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid liked what he had seen from Westbrook, who played at nearby Villanova, and drafted him in the third round. ("* represents NFL Combine")

Early career

Westbrook saw limited time in the 2002 season, but he threw a touchdown pass to receiver Todd Pinkston on a trick play in a September 2002 rout of the Dallas Cowboys. [ Sports Illustrated, September 24, 2007, p. 30] He made his mark in the NFL in the 2003 season with a fourth quarter punt return for a touchdown to defeat the New York Giants 14-10 in the closing minutes on October 19, 2003. The play managed to turn the Eagles's season around as they went to the NFC Championship Game. Westbrook, who scored eleven touchdowns by ground and air, missed the playoffs that year after tearing his tricep muscle in the final game of the season against the Washington Redskins.

2004-2007

After the departure of previous starter Duce Staley and a pre-season injury to Correll Buckhalter, Westbrook became the starting running back for 2004. He rushed for a career high 812 yards, led all NFL running backs in receiving with 73 receptions for 703 yards, and scored 9 touchdowns, creating numerous problems with opposing teams' defenses and helping to propel the Eagles to a 13-3 season. Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson even named him B-rabbit for his quickness. He went on to have a solid performance in Philadelphia's Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots, rushing for 44 yards, catching 7 passes for 60 yards, and scoring one touchdown. He was also added to his first Pro Bowl that February.

Westbrook signed a 5-year contract extension with the Eagles in November 2005, after holding out of training camp and months of hectic negotiations. With over 1,200 yards rushing and receiving, it was announced on December 6, 2005, that Westbrook would miss the rest of the 2005 season due to a mid-foot injury he sustained during a 42-0 MNF loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Westbrook resumed his productivity in 2006, despite early injury concerns over a swollen knee. With a season-ending injury to McNabb on November 19, 2006, Westbrook stepped up and became the keystone of the Philadelphia offense. On November 26, 2006, he became the first Eagle to rush for over 100 yards in three straight games since Wilbert Montgomery did it 25 years earlier.

He set a career-high in rushing yards with 1,217, topping 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. He also lead the team with 77 receptions for 699 receiving yards. His eleven total touchdowns (7 rushing and 4 receiving) were also tops on the Eagles. On January 7, 2007 Westbrook set a career-postseason rushing record, rushing for 141 yards on twenty carries against the New York Giants, including a 49 yard touchdown. The following week against the New Orleans Saints, Westbrook nearly willed the team to another playoff victory, scoring two touchdowns in the game.

After his strong playoff performance, Westbrook picked up right where he left in 2007 and cemented himself as one of the top backs in the league. He had over 100 yards rushing and receiving combined in twelve of the fifteen games that he played. His 1,333 rushing yards were a new career high and his 2,104 yards from scrimmage led the NFL. Westbrook was named to his second Pro Bowl and first All-Pro team, after setting a new franchise record with 90 receptions.

2008

On August 8, 2008, Westbrook signed a 5-year, $32 million extension with the Eagles, with the possibility of earning another $3 million after the first three seasons if incentives are met.

On September 15, 2008, in a monday night loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Westbrook caught one touchdown and rushed for 2 more, making him only the 7th player in NFL history to rush for 30 and catch 25 TDs in his career.

Personal

* Westbrook has a younger sibling, Byron Westbrook, who played defensive back at Salisbury University in Maryland. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Washington Redskins after the 2007 NFL Draft.
* Westbrook's cousin, Russell Westbrook, was drafted by the Sonics in the 2008 NBA Draft

References

External links

* [http://www.brian-westbrook.com/stats.php Brian Westbrook stats]
* [http://www.bwestbrook.com/ Official Website]
* [http://www.nfl.com/players/brianwestbrook/profile?id=WES537220 NFL Player Page]
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5977 ESPN Player Page]