Brian Westbrook facts for kids
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Westbrook in 2018
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| No. 36, 20 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | September 2, 1979 Fort Washington, Maryland, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 203 lb (92 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Maryland) |
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| College: | Villanova (1997–2001) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2002 / Round: 3 / Pick: 91 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Brian Collins Westbrook (born September 2, 1979) is a former American football player. He was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. The Philadelphia Eagles chose him in the third round of the 2002 NFL draft. Before that, he played college football for the Villanova Wildcats.
After eight years with the Eagles, where he was picked for the Pro Bowl twice (in 2004 and 2007), Westbrook joined the San Francisco 49ers for the 2010 season. He later worked as a director for the XFL, a professional football league.
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Brian Westbrook's Early Life
Westbrook went to DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. He was a great student and played both football and basketball. In football, he was a top player in his league and county during his junior and senior years.
Brian Westbrook's College Football Career
Westbrook played for the Villanova Wildcats football team from 1997 to 2001 while attending Villanova University. Even though he had some injuries, he set an all-time record in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). He gained 9,512 all-purpose yards, which means yards from running, catching, and returning kicks.
In his 46 college games, he scored 84 touchdowns. He ran for 4,298 yards and caught passes for 2,582 yards. He also gained 2,289 yards returning kickoffs. He set 41 school records, 13 conference records, and five NCAA records.
Westbrook is the only player in I-AA history to score 160 or more points in two different seasons. He was also the first college football player ever to have 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in one season (in 1998). He is one of only three Villanova players to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season, and he did it three times.
He was named an All-American and was the Atlantic 10 offensive player of the year twice. In 2001, he won the Walter Payton Award, which goes to the best player in NCAA Division I-AA.
In 2016, Westbrook was added to the Villanova University Varsity Club Hall of Fame. In 2023, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He also joined the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame in the same year.
Brian Westbrook's Professional Football Career
Despite his amazing college performance, NFL teams were not sure about drafting Brian Westbrook in the 2002 NFL draft. This was because he was considered small for a running back (5'8", 200 pounds). He also had a history of injuries, and he didn't play for a top-tier college football school.
However, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid saw his talent. The Eagles drafted him in the third round as the 91st overall pick.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | Wonderlic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 8+3⁄8 in (1.74 m) |
200 lb (91 kg) |
29+1⁄2 in (0.75 m) |
10+1⁄8 in (0.26 m) |
4.58 s | 1.58 s | 2.63 s | 7.09 s | 37 in (0.94 m) |
9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) |
26 reps | 31 | |
| All values from NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
Playing for the Philadelphia Eagles
In his first season (2002), Westbrook played a limited amount. But he did throw a touchdown pass on a trick play against the Dallas Cowboys. He made a big impact in the 2003 season. In a game against the New York Giants, he returned a punt for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to win the game 14–10. This play helped turn the Eagles' season around, and they made it to the NFC Championship Game. Westbrook scored 11 touchdowns that year, but he missed the playoffs due to an injury.
In 2004, Westbrook became the main running back for the Eagles. He ran for a career-best 812 yards. He also led all NFL running backs with 73 catches for 703 yards. He scored nine touchdowns, causing many problems for opposing teams. His play helped the Eagles have a great 13–3 season. In the playoffs, Westbrook had strong performances, helping the Eagles win the NFC Championship.
The Eagles then played in the Super Bowl for the first time in 25 years. Westbrook played well in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, rushing for 44 yards and catching seven passes for 60 yards, plus scoring a touchdown. He was also selected for his first Pro Bowl that year.
In November 2005, Westbrook signed a new five-year contract with the Eagles. Later that year, he missed the rest of the 2005 season due to a foot injury. Many Eagles players had injuries that year, and the team finished with a 6-10 record.
Westbrook returned strong in 2006. He became the most important player on offense after quarterback Donovan McNabb got injured. He ran for over 100 yards in three straight games, a feat not achieved by an Eagle in 25 years.
He set a new career high with 1,217 rushing yards, his first time topping 1,000 yards. He also led the team with 77 catches for 699 receiving yards. His 11 total touchdowns were also the most on the Eagles. In the playoffs, he had a career-best 141 rushing yards against the New York Giants. The next week, he scored two touchdowns against the New Orleans Saints.
Westbrook continued his excellent play in 2007. He had over 100 combined rushing and receiving yards in 12 of his 15 games. His 1,333 rushing yards were a new career high. His 2,104 total yards from scrimmage led the entire NFL. Westbrook was chosen for his second Pro Bowl and his first All-Pro team. He also set a new team record with 90 catches in a single season.
On August 8, 2008, Westbrook signed a new five-year contract extension with the Eagles. On September 15, 2008, he scored one receiving touchdown and two rushing touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys. This made him only the seventh player in NFL history to rush for 30 touchdowns and catch 25 touchdowns in his career. In a game against the Atlanta Falcons, he ran for a career-high 167 yards and two touchdowns. He also had two receiving and two rushing touchdowns in another game, gaining over 100 yards.
In the 2009 season, Westbrook faced more injuries. He suffered two head injuries (concussions) that forced him to miss most of the season. He played only seven games that year. The Eagles released Westbrook on March 5, 2010.
Playing for the San Francisco 49ers
Westbrook signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers on August 16, 2010. This happened after another running back on the team suddenly retired. On November 29, 2010, the starting running back, Frank Gore, got injured. Westbrook stepped in and ran for 136 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries. He finished the 2010 season with 340 rushing yards and four touchdowns, plus 150 receiving yards and another touchdown. He played in 14 games, starting 5 of them.
Retirement from Football
On August 28, 2012, Brian Westbrook announced he would retire as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. His retirement was made official the next day at a press conference. The Eagles honored him at halftime of a game on December 23, 2012. He also became an honorary captain for that game.
In 2013, Westbrook joined a TV show called Eagles Post Game Live as a panel member. On October 19, 2015, Westbrook was inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame during a Monday Night Football game. Brian is currently a correspondent for CSN Philly.
NFL Career Statistics
Regular Season
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yards | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yards | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2002 | PHI | 15 | 3 | 46 | 193 | 4.2 | 18 | 0 | 9 | 86 | 9.6 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2003 | PHI | 15 | 8 | 117 | 613 | 5.2 | 62 | 7 | 37 | 332 | 9.0 | 38 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 2004 | PHI | 13 | 12 | 177 | 812 | 4.6 | 50 | 3 | 73 | 703 | 9.6 | 50 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 2005 | PHI | 12 | 12 | 156 | 617 | 4.0 | 31 | 3 | 61 | 616 | 10.1 | 62 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | PHI | 15 | 14 | 240 | 1,217 | 5.1 | 71 | 7 | 77 | 699 | 9.1 | 52 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 2007 | PHI | 15 | 15 | 278 | 1,333 | 4.8 | 36 | 7 | 90 | 771 | 8.6 | 57 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 2008 | PHI | 14 | 14 | 233 | 936 | 4.0 | 39 | 9 | 54 | 402 | 7.4 | 47 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 2009 | PHI | 8 | 7 | 61 | 274 | 4.5 | 25 | 1 | 25 | 181 | 7.2 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | SF | 14 | 5 | 77 | 340 | 4.4 | 30 | 4 | 16 | 150 | 9.4 | 62 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 121 | 90 | 1,385 | 6,335 | 4.6 | 71 | 41 | 442 | 3,940 | 8.9 | 62 | 30 | 12 | 10 | |
Postseason
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yards | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yards | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2002 | PHI | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1.7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 8.3 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | PHI | 3 | 3 | 43 | 210 | 4.9 | 36 | 0 | 17 | 146 | 8.6 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2006 | PHI | 2 | 2 | 33 | 257 | 7.8 | 62 | 3 | 5 | 17 | 3.4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2008 | PHI | 3 | 3 | 50 | 119 | 2.4 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 119 | 17.0 | 71 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2009 | PHI | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 27.0 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 11 | 9 | 129 | 591 | 4.6 | 62 | 3 | 33 | 334 | 10.1 | 71 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
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Brian Westbrook's Personal Life
Brian Westbrook has a younger brother, Byron Westbrook, who also played football as a defensive back. Their cousin, Lawrence Westbrook, played college basketball. Another cousin, Jamire Westbrook, plays football for Miami University in Ohio.
It has been reported in some places that Brian Westbrook is related to NBA player Russell Westbrook. However, Russell Westbrook himself has said that they are not cousins. Brian Westbrook is currently a correspondent for CSN Philly, a sports network.
