BRIAN WESTBROOK
Villanova University
Running Back, 1997-98, 2000-01
 
Brian Westbrook re-wrote the job description for running backs. He wrote the Villanova record books while in college, too. So, it is no surprise to see that Westbrook has now become the first former Wildcats player to make the College Football Hall of Fame, joining former coach Andy Talley as the only program members to make the Hall.
 
"It means an awful lot to me," Westbrook said of being the first Villanova player to earn Hall honors. "Howie Long is a Villanova great. Brian Finneran is a Villanova great. Those guys are not in. So, for me to be the first from a program that has great players like those guys is super special to me, and super special to the Villanova community.
 
"When you go there you understand it is a community. It's truly an environment that allows young people to grow and be educated, but also on the sports side to flourish. And because of that, I was able to become the player that I became."
 
What Westbrook became at Villanova was one of the most decorated players in college football history, at any level. In 1998, he became the first player in college history to finish with 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. He was the Wildcats' first three-time First Team All-American. He won the Walter Payton Award in 2001 as the nation's top FCS player.
 
Westbrook amassed 9,512 career all-purpose yards, an NCAA record for any division. Reaching the single-season 1,000-yard mark in both rushing and receiving was a goal for Westbrook. So, too, was reaching 1,000 return yards on top of that, a feat he almost accomplished by tallying a combined 836 kick and punt return yards.
 
"It was special to me," Westbrook said of his accomplishments. "But those things certainly were not all Brian Westbrook. It was me with the ball in my hands and catching it, but so many people went into those achievements that it's almost hard to thank everyone, because so many people put me in position to succeed."
 
A Fort Washington, Maryland, native, Westbrook was heavily recruited during his junior prep campaign at DeMatha High before he tore his ACL. This was 1996, not 2023, and information was not readily available in recruiting circles. And ACL recovery was not what it is now.
So, a lot of schools had soured on Westbrook. But not Richmond, Maryland or Villanova, whose lead recruiter on Westbrook happened to be Stan Drayton, now the head coach at Temple. (And his first offensive coordinator with the 'Cats was Dave Clawson, the current Wake Forest head coach.)
 
"Villanova came to see me play basketball and was very interested," Westbrook said. "I understood that they were a great academic school. I was going to be able to get my business degree. I also knew they had a great alumni network, and I would have job opportunities after school."
 
Westbrook wouldn't need to tap into that network for a real job for quite awhile as the jack-of-all-trades was drafted by the Eagles in the third round in 2002. He spent eight seasons in Philadelphia, plus one in San Francisco, making two Pro Bowls and earning a first-team All-Pro nod in 2007.
 
"For me to be able to not only go to school there but understand the passion of Villanova fans, which in turn helped me to understand the passion of Philly fans for teams and players, it was super special," Westbrook said. "I'm from D.C., but because I went to Villanova and stayed home to play (in the NFL), they accepted me as their son. That was part of it.
 
"Not only as a player there, but as a beloved son of the city. Even when I'm there now it's extra special because I have the opportunity to be around the most passionate and knowledgeable fans who will love you for a lifetime, and that continues to shine through even though I haven't played in quite some time."
 
Westbrook has remained active in the sports media space and is managing director of Athlete Entrepreneur Network, which helps athletes bridge the gap from retirement to the real world, a process that he stresses begins much earlier than actual retirement. That process began on and off the field at Villanova, where he got on-the-job training, carving out his own unique path.
 
"If I go to a bigger school, I'm probably being handed the ball an awful lot because they have All-Americans at every other position," Westbrook said. "At Villanova, I was blessed to get the opportunity to understand coverages and all the different things that make an offensive player better, understand what defenses are expecting and how to counteract that defensively. I was able to get things at Villanova that I probably would not have been able to get otherwise."
 
UP CLOSE:

• Named a First Team All-American three times while also claiming the 2001 Walter Payton Award as the best Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) player in the nation.
• Broke the NCAA All-Divisions record with 9,512 career all-purpose yards and 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).
• Rushed for 4,298 yards and 54 touchdowns in his career, averaging 6.2 yards per carry and 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.
• Played for College Football Hall of Fame Coach Andy Talley.
• Becomes the first Villanova player to ever enter the College Football Hall of Fame.