National Football Foundation

The reigning CCIW Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time Academic All-American, Augustana’s Erik Westerberg has built a reputation as a dual threat on the field and in the classroom. He continues the rich tradition of Viking National Scholar-Athletes, becoming the fifth in school history.

Boasting a 3.86 GPA with a double major in mathematics and secondary education, Westerberg has twice earned CoSIDA Academic All-American honors while being named a two-time First Team All-District 7 selection. The Elmhurst, Ill., native has been named to the Augustana Dean’s List every semester of his college career, and he has been inducted into the Pi Mu Epsilon national math honor society.

A two-year team captain, Westerberg led the CCIW in tackles the last two seasons en route to being named conference Defensive Player of the Year and a 2012 D3football.com All-America performer. He twice ranked in the top 10 nationally for solo tackles, and he was named a D3football.com All-Region pick as a junior and sophomore. The two-time Augustana Defensive MVP is a back-to-back First Team All-CCIW linebacker who currently ranks second in the conference in tackles, averaging 8.8 per game. He has registered 311 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, and three interceptions in his career.

Westerberg worked for Habitat for Humanity in New Mexico during his 2013 spring break, and he has also logged 30 hours for the organization in Davenport, Iowa. He volunteers as a member of Athletes Giving Back, and he has spent time with youth at the Martin Luther King Center and at a local humane society. He also organized and directed an event for disabled students to practice and play a simulated game with the football team. Westerberg now teaches algebra at York Community High School in Elmhurst, Ill.