IRVING, Texas—One of the most prominent figures in Villanova Football history was announced on Monday afternoon as part of the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame class which was unveiled by the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame. Wildcats legend Brian Westbrook will become the second Villanovan ever and the first former player to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, joining his former coach Andy Talley who was inducted as part of the Class of 2020.
The announcement of the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class was made live on ESPN during "Championship Drive Presented by Mercedes-Benz" leading up to tonight's College Football Playoff National Championship. The 18 First Team All-America players and four standout coaches were selected from a national ballot of 80 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 96 players and 33 coaches from the divisional ranks.
"We are extremely proud to announce the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class," said Archie Manning, NFF Chairman and a 1989 College Football Hall of Famer from Mississippi. "Each of these men has established himself among the absolute best to have ever played or coached the game, and we look forward to immortalizing their incredible accomplishments."
The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class will officially be inducted during the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 5, 2023, at the ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas. The inductees will also be recognized at their respective institutions with NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the fall. Their accomplishments will be forever immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, and each inductee will receive a custom ring created by Jostens, the official and exclusive supplier of NFF rings.
One of the most versatile and tenacious players to ever set foot on the gridiron, Westbrook did it all at Villanova, becoming the first player in college history to finish with at least 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a season. The Fort Washington, Maryland, native now becomes the first Villanova player to ever enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
Westbrook became the first player in Villanova history to earn First Team All-America honors in three different seasons, spending time as a running back, wide receiver and as an all-purpose player. In 2001, he claimed the Walter Payton Award as the best Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) player in the nation after being a finalist the preceding season.
Playing for Hall of Fame Coach Andy Talley, Westbrook finished his Wildcat career holding 41 school records, 19 conference marks and five NCAA records. As a sophomore in 1998, the 5-9, 190-pound 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 (1,046 rushing, 1,144 receiving).
A two-time Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year and a three-time First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection, Westbrook rushed for 4,298 yards and 54 touchdowns in his career, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. He also amassed 2,582 receiving yards (averaging 11.7 yards per catch) and 30 receiving scores while adding 2,289 yards and five touchdowns on kickoff and punt returns. In the final game of his collegiate career, Westbrook broke the NCAA All-Divisions record with 9,512 career all-purpose yards. A two-time ECAC Player of the Year, the team went 31-15 during Westbrook's career, including an undefeated regular season in 1997 and conference titles in 1997 and 2001.
The school's all-time leading rusher and scorer, Westbrook was one of just five FCS players selected to play in the 2002 Senior Bowl. A 2005 Villanova Wall of Fame honoree, his jersey has been retired, and he was inducted into the Villanova Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 2016.
A third-round pick (91st overall) in the 2002 NFL Draft by Philadelphia, Westbrook played for the Eagles from 2002-09, appearing in Super Bowl XXXIX. He played for San Francisco in 2010. Westbrook was a Pro Bowl selection twice (2004, 2007) and a First Team All-Pro pick in 2007. He was elected to the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame and the Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team.
Westbrook works as an NFL analyst for FS1, the Bleacher Report and 97.5 The Fanatic. He established the Brian Westbrook Foundation, which serves underprivileged youth by enriching their financial knowledge, leadership and life skills, and vocational training.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME QUICK FACTS
- When the 2023 Hall of Fame Class is officially inducted in December, only 1,074 players and 230 coaches will have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame from the nearly 5.62 million who have played or coached the game during the past 153 years. In other words, less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%) of the individuals who have played the game have earned this distinction.
- Founded in 1947, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame inducted its first class of inductees in 1951. The first class included 32 players and 22 coaches, including Illinois' Red Grange, Notre Dame's Knute Rockne, Amos Alonzo Stagg and Carlisle (PA)'s Jim Thorpe.
- 320 schools are represented with at least one College Football Hall of Famer.
