Byron Westbrook
{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1984)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Byron Westbrook
| image = Byron Westbrook.jpg
| caption = Westbrook at Redskins training camp in 2011
| number = 34
| position = Cornerback
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|12|26}}
| birth_place = Washington, D.C., U.S.
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 10
| weight_lbs = 201
| high_school = DeMatha Catholic
(Hyattsville, Maryland)
| college = Salisbury
| undraftedyear = 2007
| pastteams =
- Washington Redskins ({{NFL Year|2007}}–{{NFL Year|2011}})
| pastcoaching =
- Bladensburg HS (2017–present)
| status =
| highlights =
- 3× All-ACFC (2004–2006)
| statlabel1 = Total tackles
| statvalue1 = 46
| statlabel2 = Forced fumbles
| statvalue2 = 1
| statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue3 = 1
| statlabel4 = Pass deflections
| statvalue4 = 4
| pfr = WestBy00
}}
Byron Craig Westbrook{{cite book|url=https://mdsoar.org/bitstream/handle/11603/7672/2006B-Commencement.pdf|page=15|title=Commencement, December 2006|publisher=Salisbury University|year=2006|accessdate=October 4, 2020}} (born December 26, 1984) is an American football coach and former cornerback. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2007 and played for the team until 2011. He played college football at Salisbury University. Since 2017, he has been head football coach at Bladensburg High School in Bladensburg, Maryland.
Early life
Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Fort Washington, Maryland, Westbrook attended and played high school football at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland.{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120621030900/http://www.nfl.com/player/byronwestbrook/2507294/profile|archivedate=June 21, 2012|title=Byron Westbrook|url=https://www.nfl.com/players/byron-westbrook/|publisher=NFL|accessdate=October 4, 2020|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thesentinel.com/communities/prince_george/sports/former-redskin-takes-over-as-head-football-coach-at-bladensburg/article_dd4874a2-3a39-56e9-b418-f55047d65405.html|title= Former Redskin takes over as head football coach at Bladensburg |work=The Prince George's Sentinel|date=February 8, 2017|accessdate=October 4, 2020}}
College career
Westbrook set a record for career interceptions at Salisbury University with 18. He was a 2006 American Football Coaches Association All-American. In addition, he was a three-time All-Atlantic Central Football Conference first-team selection at defensive back and was a two-time first-team selection on special teams. He is also the only Salisbury University graduate to play in the NFL.{{cite web|title=Westbrook signs free-agent contract with the Washington Redskins|url=http://www.suseagulls.com/sports/fball/2006-07/news/westbrooknfl|website=Official Site of Salisbury University Athletics|publisher=Salisbury University|date=May 15, 2007|access-date=August 25, 2009|archive-date=November 21, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121022106/http://www.suseagulls.com/sports/fball/2006-07/news/westbrooknfl|url-status=dead}} Westbrook graduated from Salisbury in December 2006 with a B.S. in information systems.
Professional career
=Washington Redskins=
Westbrook was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent on May 15, 2007.{{cite web|title=Byron Westbrook News, Stats, Photos {{pipe}} Washington Redskins|url=https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/16861/byron-westbrook|website=SB Nation|access-date=August 13, 2012|archive-date=September 18, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120918235725/https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/16861/byron-westbrook|url-status=live}} On September 1, he was released after not making final roster cuts, but was signed to the team's practice squad the next day.
On August 30, 2008, he was released after not making the team's final roster again. He was re-signed to the team's practice squad the next day.
On February 11, 2009, the Redskins re-signed Westbrook.{{cite web |work=WashingtonFootball.com |url=https://www.washingtonfootball.com/news/redskins-re-sign-westbrook-3446665 |last=Pinter |first=Glenn |title=Redskins Re-sign Westbrook |date=February 11, 2009 |accessdate=July 25, 2020 |archive-date=July 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726004125/https://www.washingtonfootball.com/news/redskins-re-sign-westbrook-3446665 |url-status=dead }}
The Redskins decided not to tender restricted free agent contract to Westbrook by March 13 deadline, which allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent for the 2012 season.{{cite web |work=WashingtonFootball.com |url=https://www.washingtonfootball.com/news/westbrook-not-tendered-7057990 |last=Pinter |first=Glenn |title=Westbrook Not Tendered |date=March 14, 2012 |accessdate=July 25, 2020 |archive-date=July 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726004127/https://www.washingtonfootball.com/news/westbrook-not-tendered-7057990 |url-status=dead }}
Post-football career
In January 2017, Westbrook was hired as the head football coach at Bladensburg High School in Bladensburg, Maryland.{{cite news|last1=Goldwein|first1=Eric|title=Ex-Redskins CB Byron Westbrook is hired as football coach at Bladensburg|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/ex-redskins-cb-byron-westbrook-is-hired-as-football-coach-at-bladensburg/2017/01/14/6bbd8562-d522-11e6-a783-cd3fa950f2fd_story.html|accessdate=January 17, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 14, 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170117074734/https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/ex-redskins-cb-byron-westbrook-is-hired-as-football-coach-at-bladensburg/2017/01/14/6bbd8562-d522-11e6-a783-cd3fa950f2fd_story.html|archivedate=January 17, 2017|url-status=live}}
Personal
He is the younger brother of Brian Westbrook, a two-time Pro Bowl running back.{{cite web |work=WashingtonFootball.com |url=https://www.washingtonfootball.com/news/this-westbrook-is-taking-a-different-path-3445891 |last=Fitzgerald |first=Gary |title=This Westbrook Is Taking a Different Path |date=May 10, 2010 |accessdate=July 25, 2020 |archive-date=July 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725154220/https://www.washingtonfootball.com/news/this-westbrook-is-taking-a-different-path-3445891 |url-status=dead }} His cousin, Lawrence Westbrook, is currently a point guard for the Neckar Riesen Ludwigsburg of the German Basketball Bundesliga league.{{cite web|title=Lawrence Westbrook Basketball Player Profile|url=http://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Lawrence_Westbrook/Neckar_RIESEN_Ludwigsburg/116667|website=Eurobasket.com|access-date=August 14, 2012}}
Westbrook was inducted into the Salisbury University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.{{cite web|url=http://www.cacsports.com/general_releases/gen1617/sal_hof|title=Salisbury Announces 2017 Hall of Fame Class|access-date=February 4, 2018|date=July 13, 2017|website=Capital Athletic Conference|archive-date=February 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180205072808/http://www.cacsports.com/general_releases/gen1617/sal_hof|url-status=dead}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20130206012940/http://www.redskins.com/team/roster/byron-westbrook/8eb04ff5-c648-44c1-9fe1-fc4c0c84184f/ Washington Redskins bio], archived by archive.org
- [http://www.suseagulls.com/sports/fball/2006-07/news/westbrooknfl Salisbury University May 15, 2007 Press Release] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121022106/http://www.suseagulls.com/sports/fball/2006-07/news/westbrooknfl |date=November 21, 2008 }}
- {{Twitter}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Westbrook, Byron}}
Category:DeMatha Catholic High School alumni
Category:American football cornerbacks
Category:Salisbury Sea Gulls football players
Category:Washington Redskins players
Category:Sportspeople from Fort Washington, Maryland
Category:Players of American football from Prince George's County, Maryland
Category:Players of American football from Washington, D.C.