Brian Westbrook

Brian Collins Westbrook (born September 2, 1979 in Washington, D.C.) is an American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Villanova. Westbrook has earned two Pro Bowl selections with the Eagles in 2004 and 2007.

2002 NFL Draft

Despite his dominance in college, NFL teams were hesitant to draft him in the 2002 NFL Draft for three reasons: his small size (he was listed at only 5'8", 200 lb (91 kg)), his injury history (he missed an entire college season with a knee injury), and the fact that he did not play college football for a NCAA Division I-A school. Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid liked what he had seen from Westbrook and drafted him in the third round.


Early Career

Westbrook saw limited time in the 2002 season, but he threw a touchdown pass to receiver Todd Pinkston on a trick play in a September 2002 rout of the Dallas Cowboys. He made his mark in the NFL in the 2003 season with a fourth quarter punt return for a touchdown to defeat the New York Giants 14-10 in the closing minutes on October 19, 2003. The play managed to turn the Eagles' season around as they went to the NFC Championship Game. Westbrook, who scored eleven touchdowns by ground and air, missed the playoffs that year after tearing his triceps muscle in the final game of the season against the Washington Redskins.


2004 - 2007

After the departure of previous starter Duce Staley and a pre-season injury to Correll Buckhalter, Westbrook became the starting running back for 2004. 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, creating numerous problems with opposing teams' defenses and helping to propel the Eagles to a 13-3 season. He went on to 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 was also added to his first Pro Bowl that February.

Westbrook signed a five-year contract extension with the Eagles in November 2005, after holding out of training camp and months of hectic negotiations. With over 1,200 yards rushing and receiving, it was announced on December 6, 2005, that Westbrook would miss the rest of the 2005 season due to a mid-foot injury he sustained during a 42-0 Monday night loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Westbrook resumed his productivity in 2006, despite early injury concerns over a swollen knee. With a season-ending injury to McNabb on November 19, 2006, Westbrook stepped up and became the keystone of the Philadelphia offense. On November 26, 2006, he became the first Eagle to rush for over 100 yards in three straight games since Wilbert Montgomery did it 25 years earlier. Westbrook set a career-high in rushing yards with 1,217, topping 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. He also lead the team with 77 receptions for 699 receiving yards. His eleven total touchdowns (seven rushing and four receiving) were also tops on the Eagles.

On January 7, 2007 Westbrook set a career-postseason rushing record, rushing for 141 yards on twenty carries against the New York Giants, including a 49 yard touchdown. The following week against the New Orleans Saints, Westbrook nearly willed the team to another playoff victory, scoring two touchdowns in the game. 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 franchise record with 90 receptions.


2008

On August 8, 2008, Westbrook signed a five-year, $32 million extension with the Eagles, with the possibility of earning another $3 million after the first three seasons if incentives are met. On September 15, 2008, in a Monday night loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Westbrook caught one touchdown and rushed for two more, making him only the seventh player in NFL history to rush for 30 and catch 25 touchdowns in his career. On October 26, 2008, coming off a rib and ankle injury, Westbrook did not show any rust whatsoever against Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in his first action since Week 5, recording a career-high 167 yards and two touchdowns off 22 carries and adding 42 yards off six receptions.