Local High School and College Stars Face Off This Weekend at The Linc

This Sunday's Eagles vs. Falcons game at The Linc will feature many big-time local high school and college players. Brian Westbrook, the not-so-secret Eagles weapon returns to the field this Sunday.

Westbrook played his college ball at Villanova, a division 1-AA school. He set numerous school and NCAA records in his time there. I recall a game I saw him play on the main line where he rushed for a TD, caught a TD, returned a kick for a TD, and threw a TD...all in the first half! He was unstoppable.

At the same time Villanova had Westbrook in the backfield, they also had a pair of twin brothers who played WR: Brian and Brad Finneran. Brad, although decent, was never as good as his brother, Brian, who got a tryout with the Eagles after college. After dropping a key ball in a preseason game, he was cut.

He soon caught on with the Atlanta Falcons, where he has been very successful when he is able to stay healthy.

Throwing passes to Finneran this season has also been rookie phenom Matt Ryan. Ryan, who played his college ball at Boston College, played high-school football locally, at the William Penn Charter School in East Falls (a school for which I played for myself in middle school and freshman year of high school).

Villanova is having a fabulous season in football this year. They are currently ranked fifth in 1-AA and this week have a big matchup at home vs. James Madison. It is also homecoming weekend. With the Eagles and Falcons playing in Philadelphia on Sunday, one can expect to see Westbrook and Finneran in the stands cheering for their alma mater. A win could move them into the top spot!

The Eagles (3-3) have a big matchup on Sunday against the upstart Falcons (4-2), at which point Westbrook and Finneran will have to put their college days behind them and face each other in a game the Eagles need to win. In the dog-eat-dog NFC East, the Eagles cannot afford to drop to 3-4.

To Matt Ryan and Brian Finneran...welcome home. It's great to have you back. Now, kindly lose to the Eagles on Sunday and head back to Atlanta.