“I’ve loved football all my life and had the great privilege to play with the best, in front of the best fans in the game, in Philly. ”
High School Career
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's 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.
College career
Westbrook played for the Villanova Wildcats football team while attending Villanova University from 1997 to 2001. He holds the all-time NCAA record with 9,512 all-purpose yards. In 46 career games, he scored 542 points with 84 touchdowns, carried the ball for 4,298 yards (6.2 avg.), caught 219 passes for 2,582 yards (11.79 avg.) and gained 2,289 yards and four touchdowns on kickoff returns. During his tenure, he established 41 school, 13 Atlantic 10 Conference, and 5 NCAA records.
Westbrook 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 three players in Villanova history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season and he accomplished that feat three times.
Westbrook was a consensus All-America and two-time CAA offensive player of the year and was the 2001 recipient of the Walter Payton Award (as the top player in NCAA Division I-AA). As a senior, he amassed 2,823 combined net yards and scored 29 touchdowns.
Westbrook was inducted to the Villanova University Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 2016.
Professional Career
Westbrook played for 9 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft.
In 2004, Westbrook became the starting running back for the Philadelphia Eagles. He rushed for a career-high 812 yards, led all NFL running backs in receiving with 73 receptions for 703 yards, and scored nine touchdowns, and helped to propel the Eagles to a 13-3 season. In the playoffs, Westbrook had 117 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown in a 27-14 win against the Vikings, and 135 yards from scrimmage in the NFC Championship win against the Falcons. Westbrook and the Eagles would go on to play in the city's first Super Bowl in 25 years. He would have a solid performance in Philadelphia's Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots, rushing for 44 yards, catching seven passes for 60 yards, and scoring one touchdown. He also played in his first Pro Bowl the following week.
In 2006, Westbrook set a career-high in rushing yards with 1,217, topping 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. He also led the team with 77 receptions for 699 receiving yards. His eleven total touchdowns (seven rushing and four receiving) were also tops on the Eagles.
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 single-season franchise record with 90 receptions.
Following an eight-year career with the Eagles, Westbrook played for the San Francisco 49ers in 2010.
College Highlights & Awards
2000: A-10 Offensive Player of the Year
2001: A-10 Offensive Player of the Year
2001: Walter Payton Award
2016: Villanova Athletics Hall of Fame
Career Highlights & Awards
2007: First-team All-Pro
2004: Pro Bowl
2007: Pro Bowl
2015: Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame
Career NFL Statistics