Secret Weapon

Brian Westbrook loves mob movies, his favorite being “The Godfather.”

It’s a movie about a highly structured, highly efficient organization that deals in violence, an organization in which the less that is known about you, the easier it is for you to do your job.

No wonder Westbrook can relate. A running back and receiver, he specializes in running to daylight for the Philadelphia Eagles, but he remains in the shadows when it comes to the spotlight.

That’s understandable on a roster that includes Terrell Owens.

However, Westbrook isn’t No. 2, either, in terms of public awareness.

Again understandable on a team whose quarterback is Donovan McNabb.

But Westbrook isn’t even third. He runs, he catches passes, he lines up in the backfield, he lines up in the slot, he lines up at wide receiver, he returns punts, he is considered the key to any hope the Eagles have of winning Super Bowl XXXIX on Sunday against the New England Patriots, and the poor guy has to wrestle a microphone away from Freddie Mitchell to get airtime.

Although he has far more to brag about than Mitchell, who was a reserve until Owens was injured, Westbrook isn’t comfortable trash talking, chest thumping or using any of the tactics employed by some of today’s athletes to keep the spotlight on themselves.

At a news conference after the Eagles’ victory over the Minnesota Vikings in a divisional playoff game two weeks ago, Westbrook, sharing a table with Mitchell, leaned in after the receiver had answered half a dozen consecutive questions and said, “I’ll take this one. Freddie can’t answer all the questions.”

But then, characteristically, Westbrook used the opportunity to talk about how valuable Mitchell has become.

The man obviously flunked Self-Promotion 101.

As far as the Eagles are concerned, the lower Westbrook’s profile, the happier they are. They would be thrilled if nobody paid attention to him, especially opposing defenses.

It took the Eagles awhile to understand themselves just how valuable he could be.

He showed his athleticism at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md., where he not only played football but was the starting point guard on the basketball team, perennially a national powerhouse.

Westbrook showed his football ability at Villanova, where he set the NCAA career record for all-purpose yards with 9,885.

But, considered small at 5 feet 10, Westbrook wasn’t taken until the third round of the 2002 draft, selected by Philadelphia with the 91st pick.

It took awhile for the Eagle coaches to crunch the numbers and understand that the more they put the ball in Westbrook’s hands, the better their chances for victory.

In their second game last season, Philadelphia lost to New England, 31-10. Westbrook carried the ball six times and caught one pass. Since then, when Westbrook has 10 or more touches, Philadelphia is 22-1. When he touches the ball at least a dozen times, the Eagles are 18-0.

Pretty basic math.

Still, with Correll Buckhalter (who had a career-high nine touchdowns in 2003) and Duce Staley sharing the backfield, Westbrook’s opportunities were limited last season.

By opening day 2004, Staley had left via free agency for Pittsburgh and Buckhalter was lost for the season because of a knee injury suffered in the preseason. That left Westbrook, who set career highs with 177 carries and 812 rushing yards and led the league’s running backs with 73 receptions and 703 receiving yards.

And that doesn’t even count his production on special teams. In 2003, he returned two punts for touchdowns and had a 15.3-yard punt-return average, second in the league and second in team history.

Concerned about Westbrook’s ever-increasing workload, Philadelphia Coach Andy Reid limited his appearances on special teams this season.

“He’s a threat every time he touches the ball,” Eagle tackle Jon Runyan said. “You don’t know what he’s going to do with it. He’s not scared to do anything. He’ll run it up the middle. He’ll take it around the corner. He catches passes over the middle. If you have a guy like that, it’s hard to stop him.”

Especially the way the Eagles use him. They move him around so much, his nickname is “Waldo” because he’s so hard to find in the backfield. Some have compared him to Marshall Faulk.

With the loss of Owens because of an ankle injury 5 1/2 weeks ago, Philadelphia has leaned on Westbrook even more during the postseason

“In the playoffs creating mismatches is something you have to focus on,” McNabb said. “With Westbrook versus a safety, a linebacker, in some cases a corner, we feel confident about that matchup.”

Westbrook just shrugs when the subject of his effectiveness comes up.

“Any time you put a better athlete against a linebacker or safety,” Westbrook said, “you have to take advantage of it.”

Off the field, Westbrook isn’t any more likely to get in the spotlight. He likes to spend his time reading the Bible, fishing, watching mob movies or playing with his pet Rottweiler, Capone.

Still, whether he likes it or not, Westbrook is becoming better known by the people of Philadelphia, who, in recent elections, have written his name in for mayor, state Supreme Court justice, Superior Court judge, traffic court judge and registrar of wills.

Outside of Philadelphia, however, Westbrook doesn’t think things have changed much, even though he is headed to the Pro Bowl for the first time. He made the squad as the second alternate only after two other players asked out because of injuries.

“The other teams don’t really know who Brian Westbrook is,” he said.

If he has a big game Sunday, they’ll know. The whole country will. He might even get his own microphone.

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Westbrook by the Numbers

Career statistics of Philadelphia’s Brian Westbrook, a third-round draft choice from Villanova:

*--* RUSHING G GS ATT YDS AVG LNG TD FD FUM LOST 2002 15 3 46 193 4.2 18 0 11 1 1 2003 15 8 117 613 5.2 62 7 27 0 0 2004 13 12 177 812 4.6 50 3 38 0 0 CAREER 43 23 340 1,618 4.8 62 10 76 1 1 RECEPTIONS G GS REC YDS AVG LNG TD FD FUM LOST 2002 15 3 9 86 9.6 20 0 4 1 1 2003 15 8 37 332 9.0 38 4 17 0 0 2004 13 12 73 703 9.6 50 6 30 1 1 CAREER 43 23 119 1,121 9.4 50 10 51 2 2 RETURNS G PR YDS TD FC LNG KR YDS TD LNG 2003 13 20 306 2 16 84 23 487 0 47 2004 2 2 14 0 0 14 0 0 0 0 CAREER 15 22 320 2 16 84 23 487 0 47

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