The 5 Most Successful Small-School Running Backs in the NFL
Brian Westbrook
College: Villanova University (FCS)
Drafted: 2002, 3rd Round (91st Overall)
Career Total NEP: 301.65
The only non-wide receiver in the top five small-schoolers overall, Brian Westbrook is also the only running back that ranks inside the top 20 at in terms of Career Total NEP for non-FBS prospects. If you'll recall, due to Rushing NEP being frequently negative (it's less efficient than Reception NEP), this is a huge testament to how dominant both as a rusher and receiver Brian Westbrook was in his time in the NFL.
Before he was tearing up NFL defenses, Westbrook wasn't heavily recruited out of his small Catholic high school, despite stellar academics and an all-State honorable mention his junior and senior years. College programs had doubts about his ability to be a true lead back due to his diminutive size, as he stood 5-foot-8, weighing under 200 pounds. He went to Villanova University, an FCS athletic program, where his exceptional talent shone through and he broke 41 school records and five NCAA records. However, his draft value was hampered, as he struggled through several injuries during college, including a 1999 knee injury that forced him to medical redshirt the entire season.
Still, then-Eagles head coach Andy Reid saw something he liked, and selected Westbrook in the third round of the 2002 Draft. From that point on, Westbrook put together one of the most impressive running back resumes in NFL history, including a nine-year career with Total NEP production above replacement level each season, and four years -- within a five-year span -- as a top five elite-level player in the league.
