Dec. 20, 2001
Villanova University senior running back Brian Westbrook closed out his illustrious collegiate career in fine fashion on Thursday evening as he was awarded the Walter Payton Award given annually to the National Offensive Player of the Year in NCAA I-AA football. Westbrook received the award at a banquet held in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The other two finalists for the award included Rocky Butler of Hofstra University and Adrian Peterson of Georgia Southern. The I-AA National Championship game between Furman University and the University of Montana will be played in Chattanooga on Friday, Dec. 21.
Westbrook received 31 first-place votes and 320 points from the panel of 103 I-AA sports information directors and selected media. Following Westbrook in the voting were Hofstra's Rocky Butler, who earned 22 first-place votes and 267 total points, and Georgia Southern's Adrian Peterson, who finished in the top three of the voting for the fourth consecutive year. Furman's Louis Ivory finished fifth in this year's voting.
Westbrook becomes the second player from Villanova to win the award. In 1997, former Wildcat and current Atlanta Falcon wide receiver Brian Finneran garnered the award. Villanova joins the University of Idaho (John Friesz-1989, Doug Nussmeier-1993) as the only schools to have two Walter Payton Award winners.
In 11 games in 2001, Westbrook led all of NCAA I-AA in both All-purpose yards with 2,823 and scoring with 176 points (29 TDs). The 5-9, 205 pound Westbrook rushed 249 times for 1,603 yards and 22 scores, caught 59 passes for 658 yards and six touchdowns, returned 17 kickoffs for 440 yards and a score, in addition to returning 12 punts for 90 yards during the 2001 campaign. In Villanova's season finale at William & Mary on Nov. 24, Westbrook set the NCAA All-Divisions career all-purpose yards record with 9,512 yards in 44 regular season games.
As a junior in 2000, Westbrook finished third in the Walter Payton Award voting behind Louis Ivory of Furman University who won the award and Peterson who finished second.
The most decorated player in school history, Westbrook finishes his Wildcat career with 41 school records, 19 Atlantic 10 Conference marks and five NCAA records. Earlier this week, Westbrook became the first player in the history of Villanova football to earn first team All-American honors in three different seasons, when he earned first team All-American acclaim from both The Sports Network and the AFCA. As a sophomore in 1998, Westbrook became the only player in the history of college football at any level to rush for 1,000 yards and receive for 1,000 yards in the same season.
Westbrook is scheduled to play in both the Senior Bowl on Saturday, January 26 and the Hula Bowl on Saturday, Feb. 3.
Westbrook graduated from Villanova in May, 2000 with a degree in Management Information Systems and is currently enrolled in Villanova's MBA program.
