Trent Cole, Ike Reese, and more tee off at the Brian Westbrook Foundation charity golf tournament
The fourth annual charity golf tournament was held at Union League Liberty Hill in Lafayette Hill.
Former Eagles players Ike Reese and Trent Cole drove along the Union League Liberty Hill golf course in Lafayette Hill listening to the sounds of Mariah Carey, Biz Markie, and Usher as they left a trail of cigar smoke behind them. Leading the pack was Irving Fryar, listening to the smooth jazz.
“I got to try to stay calm,” said Irving, a former Eagles wide receiver.
The distinct sounds frequently created a mix of music during their five-man scramble with former Eagles offensive linemen Todd Herremans and Tra Thomas. The players reunited for a good cause, teeing off at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday for the fourth annual Brian Westbrook Foundation charity golf tournament.
“B-West got me up at five o’clock in the morning,” Thomas said jokingly.
Thomas showed up to the first hole more than ready to go. He stepped up to the tee box wearing two gloves before driving the ball up the fairway. Although the event is for charity, the former player’s competitive edge was still evident.
“[Expletive], I’m playing to win,” Thomas said.
The event, hosted by the Allied Resources Group and Westbrook, will raise funds for the foundation’s expansion across Philadelphia. The Maryland-based nonprofit’s expansion to the city will help empower youth via educational and financial literacy, STEM, entrepreneurship, and equestrian programming.
“The Brian Westbrook Foundation is truly about serving the community,” Westbrook said. “It’s about education, it’s about empowering, it’s about providing access and opportunity to young people and families as well. … We’re trying to empower our young people — whether they want to go to college or whether they want to go to trade school or something else.”
Proceeds from the tournament directly support the foundation’s initiatives, including its new 12-week geographic information system program — a hands-on course with a focus on teaching middle and high school students drone mapping, data analysis, and storytelling through technology.
“I saw a lot of opportunity [in the STEM space],” Westbrook said. “I have an engineering staffing company, and there’s so many opportunities out there for minorities and young people to get into that STEM space. So for us it’s about trying to push them into a space that absolutely needs the help and needs the young people in it.”
Westbrook, who attended Villanova, spent nine seasons in the NFL, eight with the Eagles and one with the San Francisco 49ers. But after retiring in 2010, the former running back was ready to make an impact off the field. In 2017, he founded his nonprofit with a mission to empower youth and add to their vocational training.
“It’s all about bringing money in,” Westbrook said. “So many people want to give back. So many people want to help, and we want to facilitate that. Of course, we want to help our young people as well. … It’s a passion of mine because as a young man, so many people throughout my time at Villanova, throughout my time at DeMatha High School, as well as the Eagles, so many people helped me and allowed me to be successful.”
Westbrook didn’t tee off until the afternoon flight at 1:30 p.m. He started golfing about eight years ago and has attended several golf outings, including the Mike Quick Celebrity Invitational. Now, the 45-year-old hopes to continue his event as a tradition.
“I’m looking forward to everyone having a great time,” Westbrook said. “We can show everybody what our foundation is all about and [show them] what we do. And then after that, we want to make sure we hit some low scores, get some hole-in-ones, hit the ball straight. I would love to be able to do that, too.”
To donate, volunteer, or be part of the foundation, you can go to brianwestbrookfoundation.com.