Former BYU wide receiver Michael Westbrook will be busy this fall. Not with midterms or finals, but with narrowing down the choices of which school he will attend this January.
Westbrook said he has been contacted by several Pac-10 teams, and will begin visiting their campuses this fall. He said he is not partial to any school, and has not made any decisions yet.
In stating his reasons for leaving the Cougars, Westbrook said playing time was not an issue.
“I was playing a lot,” he said. “I’d been thinking about this for a long time, and I decided to take action.”
Westbrook said he talked with head coach LaVell Edwards two weeks ago in order to get a release from the university.
Westbrook said he was not getting enough respect and trust he felt he needed between himself and the coaches.
“The press was saying I was mad because I wasn’t getting enough playing time, or I wasn’t getting enough catches,” he said. “It was nothing like that.”
Westbrook said he respected the coaches at BYU and did not want to leave the university in a negative light.
“I really wish things could have been different,” Westbrook said.
According to NCAA rules, Westbrook can visit five schools before making a decision on which school to attend. If Westbrook decides to play at a Division I school, he will be required to sit out one season. This would make him eligible for the 2001 season. After that he will have two remaining years of eligibility.
Westbrook, a sophomore from Washington, was part of BYU’s powerful No. 7-ranked offense. He had nine receptions on the season before withdrawing from school after playing only four games this season.
In his absence, quarterback Kevin Feterik has continued to find a variety of receivers. Back-up quarterback Brandon Doman is one player that has seen more playing time at the wide receiver spot.
