When the Philadelphia Eagles scribbled Brian Westbrook's name on their selection card during the second day of the 2002 NFL Draft, it wasn't the most exciting acquisition. He didn't play in the SEC or Big Ten conference, and even though he played in the Birds' backyard at Villanova University, we admittedly had to do a little research about him.
We learned he was a three-time First-Team I-AA All-American (1998, 2000, 2001), a two-time A-10 Offensive Player of the Year (2000, 2001), and a three time First-team All-A-10 standout (1998, 2000, 2001). Okay... We're a little intrigued...
Then, he broke that 62-yarder to put the game away vs. the Buffalo Bills in Week 4 of the 2003 regular season. He earned a spot in our hearts and never left.
Also read: The 20 greatest running backs in Eagles history
Brian Westbrook
Fast forward to the present, that Nova kid turned out okay. He's a member of the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame and the franchise's 75th Anniversary Team. He recently hung out with our FanSided family at radio row during Super Bowl LIX during an episode of one of the flagship shows, Stacking The Box. Fast forward to the 1:48 mark to hear his full interview.
He was present as part of the NFL alumni for an important campaign. He has partnered with the number-one online retailer of pet food, Chewy. They're giving away 59,000 pounds of food to the Kansas City Pet Project and Pennsylvania ASPCA.
The legend also discussed his Eagles. There's no surprise there, right? He discussed defining moments, one including his iconic game-winning TD vs. the hated New York Giants, but his words on how humble beginnings birthed the dual-threat star proved to be worth the admission price.
"The one great thing about me going to Villanova... There were a lot of negative things because you're going to a smaller school... You're trying to make it to the NFL, (and people are saying) 'you're too small and your school is too small'. But, one of the great things was, while there, I was able to develop the skill (of) catching the ball out of the backfield and understanding coverages.
When I came into the NFL, they're not teaching you a lot of stuff. They want you to be able to do it already. I was able to do a lot of the things other running backs, these bigger running backs at bigger schools just didn't have to do.
They already had All-American receivers. They had the All-American tight end. So, for us, they (Nova) wanted me to be the receiver and running back, so I had to learn and understand those things. That really paid off throughout my career."
Interesting... So, take note everyone... If you want your son to develop into a more versatile player, send him to a smaller school. You may birth the next Brian Westbrook by doing so. There's nothing to complain about should that happen.
During his career, he notched two Pro Bowl nods (2004, 2007) and a First-Team All-Pro nod (2007), and how about this stat line?
He appeared in 118 Eagles games with 94 starts. Those numbers include 11 postseason games with nine starts. That resulted in 6,586 rushing yards on 1,047 carries, 4,124 receiving yards on 459 receptions, 1,004 return yards on 68 punt and kickoff returns, and eight total touchdowns.
Say what you will. That's pretty good for a 'small guy from a small school'.
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