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Westbrook newest star of youth camp
NFL veteran Brian Westbrook particpates in some training with the kids during the Bartrum and Brown Football Camp at the Joan C. Edwards Stadium Saturday, May 17, 2008.
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HUNTINGTON -- A new star has emerged from the Bartrum and Brown Football Camp.
Chad Pennington, obviously, is an annual favorite. Addressing youngsters several years ago when the camp was conducted at Spring Valley High School, Pennington's rah-rah speech was greeted with an odd hush.
It wasn't that campers weren't fired up. Instead, a sense of awe was clear as dozens of middle schoolers simply gawked at the New York Jets quarterback.
As the camp namesakes, Troy Brown and Mike Bartrum share the spotlight each year. Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch and fellow New England Patriot Mike Vrabel also have headlined Bartrum and Brown camps.
On Saturday, Brian Westbrook was the unquestioned big man on Marshall University's campus.
First, was the matter of football. The multi-talented Philadelphia Eagles tailback handed off and tossed passes to campers throughout the day-long event.
Westbrook's true impact was delivered at the camp's conclusion, delivering a direct, no-nonsense speech to youngsters huddled at Joan C. Edwards Stadium's midfield. The undersized overachiever urged campers to adopt strong work ethics and stare down adversity.
"I just wanted to make sure the kids know nothing comes easy in life," said Westbrook, a two-time 1,000-yard rusher who caught 90 passes last season. "Nothing worth while comes easy. If they would just go out and work hard and be dedicated into whatever their goal is they'll be fine in life.
"I've been through so many things in my life, adversity and other hardships, I know that if I work hard and stay dedicated to my goals I can achieve anything I want."
Bottom line, adversity is real, right?
"Adversity is real," Westbrook continued. "If you don't have any adversity in your life you're very, very blessed. But the reality is you're going to face adversity. And it's not about how you were before adversity. It's about how you were when you were going through that adversity and how you are after.
"These kids have opportunities. They have their whole life in front of them and they're going to face a lot of adversity. And if they can go through it with passion and continue to have that passion afterward they'll be fine."
Due in equal parts to Westbrook's celebrity and speech, he was a runaway favorite in an informal polling of campers. Huntington's Derek Rankin was among those impressed with the seven-year NFL veteran and two-time Pro Bowl selection.
"He's a running back and I like running backs," Rankin said. "And he really influences people."
A camp attendee from another generation also singled out Westbrook. Jack Lengyel, head coach of Marshall's 1971 Young Thundering Herd, appreciated Westbrook's message.
"Just listening to Brian talk to the kids this morning was inspiring," Lengyel said. "You never know what registers with one person. If one person registered with him then his whole trip was worth it.
"But I know there were many youngsters who were listening intently. ... The lessons he learned about facing adversity and sharing it today is something those kids will never forget."
Westbrook accepted former Philadelphia teammate Mike Bartrum's invitation to the annual camp. Both Bartrum and Troy Brown annually lure high-profile NFL players to the camp, which benefits local youth charities.
"Mike has been an inspiration to me since I came into the league," Westbrook said. "He's been a great influence and he's been a great friend as well."
Bartrum more than appreciated Saturday's reciprocation.
"He gave a speech at the end that ... it's everything that this camp is about -- perseverance, people telling you can't do something," said Bartrum, a Marshall Athletics Hall of Fame inductee. "If you dedicate yourself and put in hard work, you can accomplish anything.
"That's the epitome of this camp. And again, it's not the Bartrum and Brown. It's all of us. That's just the name."
