Jamaal Westerman
Encyclopedia
Jamaal Akeem Westerman is an American football
linebacker
for the New York Jets
of the National Football League
(NFL). He was signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football
at Rutgers
.
Westerman played high school football
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
, at St. Thomas Aquinas High School before moving to Brampton, Ontario
. In Brampton, he started in every season he played. After his time in Brampton, he received three scholarship
offers from National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) colleges before accepting one from Rutgers. Westerman was considered one of Rutgers' best defensive linemen and was named to the Second–team All–Big East team two times. In the 2009 NFL Draft
, Westerman went undrafted and signed with the New York Jets. He debuted with the Jets on September 13, 2009.
. After graduating from Notre Dame in 2004 he was considered a two-star prospect by Rivals.com
. Rutgers, Boise State
and Central Michigan
all recruited him and all offered him scholarships. He eventually accepted Rutgers' scholarship offer.
in 2004, Westerman made a quick impression on the Rutgers coaching staff after recording six tackles in two games to begin 2005. In the Cincinnati
game, Westerman recorded a sack on quarterback
Dustin Grutza which forced a fumble.
Before the 2006 season, Westerman was involved in a car accident with teammates Willie Foster and Corey Hyman. Westerman and Foster were uninjured while Hyman required two stitches in his forehead. On September 29, against South Florida
, Westerman sacked quarterback Matt Grothe
for a five yard loss. After the month of September, Westerman had eight tackles and two and a half sacks. Through eight games, Westerman was the team leader in sacks with six. Against Connecticut
, Westerman blocked a punt and recovered a fumble by Connecticut quarterback D. J. Hernandez. Both the punt and fumble recovery were returned for a touchdown. Westerman also recorded two and a half sacks in the game. By the final game in the season, Westerman and defensive end William Blackford had a combined 59 tackles, 16 tackles for a loss with 10 sacks. In the Texas Bowl
against the Kansas State Wildcats
, Westerman sacked quarterback
Josh Freeman
twice and recovered a Freeman fumble. Westerman was named second–team All–Big East following the season along with teammates Brian Leonard
, Cameron Stephenson
, Pedro Sosa
, Jeremy Ito
, Ramel Meekins, Devraun Thompson, Ron Girault
and Courtney Greene
.
During spring practice, Westerman and two other starter defensive linemen missed the annual intersquad scrimmage due to injuries. In Rutgers' 59–0 win over Norfolk State
, Westerman recorded one sack on quarterback Casey Hansen
. Against Syracuse
and South Florida, Westerman recorded two sacks which gave him six for the season. Following the season, Westerman and Rutgers earned a bid to play in the International Bowl
against Ball State
. The game was played in his hometown of Toronto
. According to Westerman he received numerous questions from teammates about Toronto, including "What's the weather like?"
Beginning in March 2008, Rutgers attempted to convert Westerman to defensive tackle, so he could replace the departed Eric Foster. However, Westerman ended up playing defensive end during the season. Against Morgan State, Westerman blocked a punt and recovered the loose ball. Westerman suffered a torn biceps against Louisville
and was forced to sit out the rest of the season which included a bowl game. Despite his injury, he led Rutgers with six sacks on the season.
Westerman ended his collegiate career with 26 sacks, 141 tackles and 45 tackles for a loss. His career sack total ranked him third highest in Rutgers school history.
Westerman was signed by the New York Jets
as an undrafted free agent on April 27, 2009. On June 9, 2009, Jets head coach Rex Ryan
said that he expected Westerman to make the team's final roster. He ended up making the final roster as an outside linebacker and recorded two tackles and a sack in his debut against the Houston Texans
on September 13.On October 9, 2011 Westerman recorded 5 tackles along with 2 sacks against the New England Patriots
but in a losing effort while the Jets loss 30-21.
after Westerman encouraged him to do so. His other brother Jabar is a defensive tackle at Dodge City Community College
and is set to graduate and move onto a four–year college in 2010.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL). He was signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Rutgers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights football
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represents Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision play...
.
Westerman played high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
, at St. Thomas Aquinas High School before moving to Brampton, Ontario
Brampton, Ontario
Brampton is the third-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada and the seat of Peel Region. As of the 2006 census, Brampton's population stood at 433,806, making it the 11th largest city in Canada. It is also one of Canada's fastest growing municipalities, with an average...
. In Brampton, he started in every season he played. After his time in Brampton, he received three scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
offers from National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) colleges before accepting one from Rutgers. Westerman was considered one of Rutgers' best defensive linemen and was named to the Second–team All–Big East team two times. In the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
, Westerman went undrafted and signed with the New York Jets. He debuted with the Jets on September 13, 2009.
Early years
Westerman was born in Brooklyn, New York, on February 21, 1985. He and his family moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where Westerman began his high school career at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Following his freshman season, he moved again, this time to Brampton, Ontario, and enrolled at Notre Dame Secondary School. Westerman started every year he was there and led both the team and league in tackles and sacksQuarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
. After graduating from Notre Dame in 2004 he was considered a two-star prospect by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
. Rutgers, Boise State
Boise State Broncos football
This page discusses the Boise State football program. For more Boise State athletics, see Boise State Broncos.The Boise State Broncos football program represents Boise State University in college football and compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I as a member of the Mountain West...
and Central Michigan
Central Michigan Chippewas football
The Central Michigan Chippewas football team is a college football program in Division I FBS, representing Central Michigan University. They are a top 25 program in terms of all-time winning percentage and top five amongst all teams from non-BCS automatic qualifying conferences...
all recruited him and all offered him scholarships. He eventually accepted Rutgers' scholarship offer.
College career
After redshirtingRedshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
in 2004, Westerman made a quick impression on the Rutgers coaching staff after recording six tackles in two games to begin 2005. In the Cincinnati
Cincinnati Bearcats football
The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as...
game, Westerman recorded a sack on quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Dustin Grutza which forced a fumble.
Before the 2006 season, Westerman was involved in a car accident with teammates Willie Foster and Corey Hyman. Westerman and Foster were uninjured while Hyman required two stitches in his forehead. On September 29, against South Florida
South Florida Bulls football
The South Florida Bulls are a Division I FBS college football program that plays its home games in Tampa, Florida. The team began playing in 1997, holding its first team meeting under a shade tree as the school had no proper football facilities on campus...
, Westerman sacked quarterback Matt Grothe
Matt Grothe
Matt Grothe is a professional quarterback who is currently a member of the Tampa Bay Storm. He has been with the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He played college football at South Florida....
for a five yard loss. After the month of September, Westerman had eight tackles and two and a half sacks. Through eight games, Westerman was the team leader in sacks with six. Against Connecticut
Connecticut Huskies football
The Connecticut Huskies football team is a collegiate football team that competes in NCAA Division I-A and the Big East Conference. Connecticut first fielded a team in 1896, and participated in Division I-AA until 1999. The Huskies began their two-year Division I-A transition period in 2000, and...
, Westerman blocked a punt and recovered a fumble by Connecticut quarterback D. J. Hernandez. Both the punt and fumble recovery were returned for a touchdown. Westerman also recorded two and a half sacks in the game. By the final game in the season, Westerman and defensive end William Blackford had a combined 59 tackles, 16 tackles for a loss with 10 sacks. In the Texas Bowl
Texas Bowl
The Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas, formerly known as the Texas Bowl, is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I FBS college football bowl game that was held for the first time in 2006 in Houston, Texas. The bowl replaced the now-defunct Houston Bowl, which was played annually from 2000 to 2005...
against the Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas State Wildcats football
The Kansas State Wildcats football program is the intercollegiate football program of the Kansas State University Wildcats. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference...
, Westerman sacked quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Josh Freeman
Josh Freeman
-2009:On November 8, 2009, Freeman started his first professional game at home against the Green Bay Packers. The Buccaneers won, ending an 11-game losing streak. He completed 14 out of 31 passes for 205 yards, 3 passing touchdowns, and 1 INT, including a fourth down touchdown pass to rookie Sammie...
twice and recovered a Freeman fumble. Westerman was named second–team All–Big East following the season along with teammates Brian Leonard
Brian Leonard
-St. Louis Rams:On April 28, 2007, Leonard was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the second round with the 52nd overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft. Leonard signed a four-year, $2.8 million contract on July 24, 2007, that includes $1.55 million in guaranteed money. Coach Scott Linehan decided to use...
, Cameron Stephenson
Cameron Stephenson
Cameron John-Ngaue Stephenson is an American football guard who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
, Pedro Sosa
Pedro Sosa
Pedro Sosa is an American football offensive tackle for the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
, Jeremy Ito
Jeremy Ito
Jeremy Ito is a former placekicker and punter for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights NCAA Division I-A football team. He was most recently a kicker for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League...
, Ramel Meekins, Devraun Thompson, Ron Girault
Ron Girault
Ron Girault is an American football safety for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
and Courtney Greene
Courtney Greene
Courtney Greene is an American football safety for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Rutgers.-Early years:Starred at New Rochelle High School alongside college...
.
During spring practice, Westerman and two other starter defensive linemen missed the annual intersquad scrimmage due to injuries. In Rutgers' 59–0 win over Norfolk State
Norfolk State Spartans Football
The Norfolk State Spartans football team represents Norfolk State University in Division I FCS college football. The team plays their home games at William "Dick" Price Stadium in Norfolk, Virginia....
, Westerman recorded one sack on quarterback Casey Hansen
Casey Hansen
Casey Hansen is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
. Against Syracuse
Syracuse Orange football
The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision...
and South Florida, Westerman recorded two sacks which gave him six for the season. Following the season, Westerman and Rutgers earned a bid to play in the International Bowl
International Bowl
The International Bowl was a National Collegiate Athletic Association collegiate American football bowl game played in Toronto from 2007 through 2010...
against Ball State
Ball State Cardinals football
The Ball State Cardinals football team represents Ball State University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Mid-American Conference .-Recent history:...
. The game was played in his hometown of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. According to Westerman he received numerous questions from teammates about Toronto, including "What's the weather like?"
Beginning in March 2008, Rutgers attempted to convert Westerman to defensive tackle, so he could replace the departed Eric Foster. However, Westerman ended up playing defensive end during the season. Against Morgan State, Westerman blocked a punt and recovered the loose ball. Westerman suffered a torn biceps against Louisville
Louisville Cardinals football
The Louisville Cardinals football team represents the University of Louisville in college football as a member of the Big East Conference. Howard Schnellenberger started the program's rise to relevancy after winning the Miami Hurricanes' first national championship...
and was forced to sit out the rest of the season which included a bowl game. Despite his injury, he led Rutgers with six sacks on the season.
Westerman ended his collegiate career with 26 sacks, 141 tackles and 45 tackles for a loss. His career sack total ranked him third highest in Rutgers school history.
New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted free agent on April 27, 2009. On June 9, 2009, Jets head coach Rex Ryan
Rex Ryan
Rex Ryan is an American football head coach for the New York Jets of the National Football League . After serving as an assistant coach for twenty-two years, Ryan attained his first head coaching job in the NFL with the Jets in 2009...
said that he expected Westerman to make the team's final roster. He ended up making the final roster as an outside linebacker and recorded two tackles and a sack in his debut against the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on September 13.On October 9, 2011 Westerman recorded 5 tackles along with 2 sacks against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
but in a losing effort while the Jets loss 30-21.
Personal
Westerman's brother, Jawann, walked onto the Rutgers football team as a wide receiverWide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
after Westerman encouraged him to do so. His other brother Jabar is a defensive tackle at Dodge City Community College
Dodge City Community College
Dodge City Community College is located on the Central High Plains in Ford County, southwest Kansas.-Campus:For 22 years, the College was located on the third floor of the Senior High School Building at 1601 First Avenue. By 1957, it had grown large enough to require a move to a different...
and is set to graduate and move onto a four–year college in 2010.