IRVING, Texas (Oct. 24, 2023) – Villanova and The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that they will jointly honor 2023 College Football Hall of Fame electee Brian Westbrook with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments®. The Salute will take place this Saturday, Oct. 28, during the Wildcats' home football game against Stony Brook, which will kick off at 2:00 p.m. ET on FloFootball.
"One of the most versatile and tenacious players to ever set foot on the gridiron,
Brian Westbrook did it all at Villanova, becoming the first player in college history, on any level, to finish with at least 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a season," said NFF President & CEO
Steve Hatchell. "We are thrilled to honor him at Villanova Stadium as a member of the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class."
The Fort Washington, Maryland, native now becomes the first Villanova player to ever enter the College Football Hall of Fame, joining his Hall of Fame coach Andy Talley, a member of the 2020 class of inductees.
The NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute program, which began with the inaugural College Football Hall of Fame Class in 1951, has become a hallowed tradition, and to this day the singular events remain the first of numerous activities in the Hall of Fame experience. During the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, each electee returns to his respective school to accept a Hall of Fame plaque that will stay on permanent display at the institution. The events take place on the field during a home game, and many Hall of Famers cite the experience as the ultimate capstone to their careers, providing them one more chance to take the field and be recognized in front of their home crowd.
As a sophomore in 1998, the 5-9, 190-pound, Westbrook became the only player in the history of college football at any level to rush for 1,000 yards and receive for 1,000 yards in the same season (1,046 rushing, 1,144 receiving). He also became the first player in Villanova history to earn First Team All-America honors in three different seasons, spending time as a running back, wide receiver and as an all-purpose player. In 2001, he claimed the Walter Payton Award as the best Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) player in the nation after being a finalist the preceding season. Westbrook finished his Wildcat career holding 41 school records, 19 conference marks and five NCAA records.
A two-time Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year and a three-time First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection, Westbrook rushed for 4,298 yards and 54 touchdowns in his career, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. He also amassed 2,582 receiving yards (averaging 11.7 yards per catch) and 30 receiving scores while adding 2,289 yards and five touchdowns on kickoff and punt returns. In the final game of his collegiate career, Westbrook broke the NCAA All-Divisions record with 9,512 career all-purpose yards. A two-time ECAC Player of the Year, the team went 31-15 during Westbrook's career, including an undefeated regular season in 1997 and conference titles in 1997 and 2001.
The school's all-time leading rusher and scorer, Westbrook was one of just five FCS players selected to play in the 2002 Senior Bowl. A 2005 Villanova Wall of Fame honoree, his jersey has been retired, and he was inducted into the Villanova Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 2016.
A third-round pick (91
st overall) in the 2002 NFL Draft by Philadelphia, Westbrook played for the Eagles from 2002-09, appearing in Super Bowl XXXIX. He played for San Francisco in 2010. Westbrook was a Pro Bowl selection twice (2004, 2007) and a First Team All-Pro pick in 2007. He was elected to the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame and the Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team.
Westbrook works as an NFL analyst for FS1, the Bleacher Report and 97.5 The Fanatic. He established the Brian Westbrook Foundation, which serves underprivileged youth by enriching their financial knowledge, leadership and life skills, and vocational training.
The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 5 at the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
Click here for more information on the Awards Dinner, including options to purchase tickets online, special travel rates to the event from Delta Air Lines and hotel rates at the ARIA.
The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class includes
Eric Berry (Tennessee),
Michael Bishop (Kansas State),
Reggie Bush (Southern California),
Dwight Freeney (Syracuse),
Robert Gallery (Iowa),
LaMichael James (Oregon),
Derrick Johnson (Texas),
Bill Kollar (Montana State),
Luke Kuechly (Boston College),
Jeremy Maclin (Missouri),
Terance Mathis (New Mexico),
Bryant McKinnie (Miami [FL]),
Corey Moore (Virginia Tech),
Michael Stonebreaker (Notre Dame),
Tim Tebow (Florida),
Troy Vincent (Wisconsin),
Brian Westbrook (Villanova),
DeAngelo Williams (Memphis), and coaches
Monte Cater (Lakeland [WI], Shepherd [WV]),
Paul Johnson (Georgia Southern, Navy, Georgia Tech),
Roy Kramer (Central Michigan) and
Mark Richt (Georgia, Miami [FL]).
The accomplishments of the 2023 Class will be forever immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, and each inductee will receive a custom ring created by Jostens, the official and exclusive supplier of NFF rings.
Including the 2023 Hall of Fame Class, only 1,074 players and 230 coaches have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame from the nearly 5.7 million who have played or coached the game during the past 154 years. In other words, less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%) of the individuals who have played the game have earned this distinction.
Fidelity Investments has served as the national presenting sponsor of the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes since 2010. The salutes are one component of a multi-year initiative between the two organizations to celebrate the scholar-athlete ideal and a joint commitment to higher education. Fidelity is also the presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, and it helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes in 2011, which recognize the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives around the country.
ABOUT FIDELITY INVESTMENTS
Fidelity's mission is to strengthen the financial well-being of our customers and deliver better outcomes for the clients and businesses we serve. With assets under administration of $11.7 trillion, including discretionary assets of $4.5 trillion as of June 30, 2023, we focus on meeting the unique needs of a diverse set of customers. Privately held for over 75 years, Fidelity employs over 70,000 associates who are focused on the long-term success of our customers. For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit https://www.fidelity.com/about-fidelity/our-company.
ABOUT The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame
Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters in 47 states, NFF programs include the selection and induction of members of the College Football Hall of Fame; the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta; Future For Football; The William V. Campbell Trophy®; the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments; the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Award; and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Catapult, Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments, Jostens, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the New York Athletic Club, the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation and the Sports Business Journal. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork and learn more at footballfoundation.org.
