Dec. 12, 2000

Villanova, PA - On Tuesday, December 12, the American Football Coaches Association announced that Villanova junior, Brian Westbrook (Fort Washington, MD/DeMatha H.S.), was named to the 2000 I-AA Coaches' All-America Team as a return specialist.

The AFCA has selected an All-America team every year since 1945 and currently selects teams in all four of its divisions. The teams are selected exclusively by Division I-AA coaches, which is what make the honor so special. Each All-America team consists of 25 players - 11 offensive, 11 defensive and three specialists.

Over the course of his junior campaign in 2000, Westbrook tallied a nation's best 2,992 all-purpose yards. A little more than a third of those yards came on kick off returns. Westbrook returned 38 kicks for 1,048 yards and two touchdowns. In the final game of 2000 against the nationally ranked Delaware Blue Hens, Westbrook returned nine kicks for 269 yards. For the second time in his career, Westbrook also surpassed the 1,000-1,000 mark. In 1998, he recorded 1,046 yards rushing and 1,144 yards receiving. He duplicated the feat in 2000, but in a different manner, posting 1,000-yard totals in rushing with 1,220 yards and in returns with 1,048.

Westbrook is one of only two juniors to receive the honor in 2000. The AFCA All-America team consists of 22 seniors, two juniors and one sophomore. Joining Westbrook on the team were Delaware linebacker Brian McKenna and Richmond offensive lineman Eric Beatty. All three players hail from the Atlantic Ten Conference. Over the years, the A-10 has produced the second most AFCA All-Americans with 68 players appearing 77 times. Only the Southern Conference has more with 78 appearances.