PAYSON — For as long as the Arizona State offensive lineman can remember, people have called him "Champ". His given name is Rashad, the same as his father's, but on every roster, he's been Champ Westbrooks. The elder Westbrooks likes nicknames and dubbed his son Champ early on. As the story goes, when Champ received his first immunizations as an infant, he didn't cry. His father said he "took it like a champ." And Champ was born; it's the only name anyone knows him by. Champ has two younger brothers: Boss (Carter) and Captain (Conner). Boss is a sophomore football player at Loyola High School in Los Angeles, while Captain is an eighth-grader. Champ has been waiting patiently for his shot at a leading role for the Sun Devils. That is likely to come this season. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound junior is a leading candidate for a starting spot at left tackle, although he has seen some practice reps at right tackle as well.
On the offensive line, it is difficult to draw playing time early. Players need time in a college weight and conditioning program to be able to move experienced 300-pounders in front of you. Westbrooks said patience isn't easy, but he understood the process. "Everybody comes out here and believes they should play, but you definitely have to humble yourself," he said, after a practice wrapped up at Camp Tontozona. "You get out here in these drills, and see you're not as good as you thought you were. You just have to humble yourself and be able to learn from other people, be able to take that time and get ready for your spot." Westbrooks had a handful of offers. UNLV, Nevada and Louisville were among them. But he was a relatively late bloomer. He was small by offensive line standards. In fact, he played interior offensive line because he wasn't big enough for the tackle spots.
ASU offensive line coach Saga Tuitele first saw Westbrooks when working in the same capacity at Fresno State. Westbrooks was on his radar after seeing him in a camp his junior year. Once Tuitele got to ASU, he got back in touch with Westbrooks and suggested another camp in Southern California where he would be working and head coach Kenny Dillingham would be in attendance. "At that camp, I said, 'Kenny, watch this kid.' Within the first 15, 20 minutes, Kenny said to me, `You haven't offered this kid yet? Why not?' He was 6-3, maybe 245," Tuitele said. "We knew he still had some growth potential." Westbrooks made an official visit in June, just ahead of his senior year, and committed right away. He had a stellar senior season, earning an invitation to the Under Armour All-American Game where he beat out other top prospects to earn the start at right guard. By the time he showed up at ASU, he had indeed grown a bit, and the development process was on. Despite having to wait two years, Westbrooks never entertained the thought of going elsewhere. Unlike a lot of players in today's landscape, who are looking for instant gratification or a bigger role, which could lead to more money, he didn't want to go anywhere else. Early on, he declared on social media that he planned to start and end his career at ASU. "Just that trust they showed in me," Westbrooks said. "I had to show it right back." Westbrooks got his first career start in the Sun Bowl against ACC champion Duke. Lining up at right tackle, he replaced Max Iheanachor, who sat out the contest in preparation for the NFL draft. In that game, the Sun Devils totaled 244 rushing yards and 619 total yards. The group did not allow a sack. Westbrooks' showing in that game set the tone for the 2026 campaign. More Sun Devils: Arizona State changes course, closes Camp Tontozona practice Westbrooks was particularly close to Iheanachor, who served as his host when he made his official visit. He was excited to see Iheanachor transform from an athlete who never played the sport in high school to the Pittsburgh Steelers' first-round draft pick. It was proof that hard work pays off. "It shows how much work he put in," Westbrooks said. "He's someone I look up to for sure. The work he has put in to get to the position he is in- that's the work ethic I want to have." Tuitele said Westbrooks had the benefit of spending his first two years around some quality offensive linemen, Iheanachor, Ben Coleman and Leif Fautanau, among them. That showed Westbrooks how to be a leader when it was his turn. "It's a dope transition growing into that older guy," Westbrooks said. "Patience was a big thing in my growth, knowing I was sitting behind Max, knowing he was going to go in the first round; everybody knew that. Being patient, learning from him, Scrilla (Josh Atkins), Emmit (Bohle), even Jalen. It's dope to be able to learn from such good people." Tuitele said Westbrooks has the talent and athletic ability to excel at the position. Now it's about focusing on technique. "He has had a lot of good players around him who showed him how to do things right, and he's getting to the point that I know I can count on him for anything," Tuitele said. "He's been in the program, and he knows the culture. "Once you're an athlete, you can out-athlete in everything you do. He's got to learn to trust the technique and use his athletic ability to get himself in the right position. Against better players, that technique makes a big difference." The Sun Devils' week at Camp Tontozona ends with a 9 a.m. MST scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 15. Westbrooks is one of the players who enjoys the time away from Tempe. Yes, the week is about practice and team bonding activities, but it also gives him a chance to explore one of his other hobbies. Photography. With a camera, not just a cell phone. "I love photography," he said. "I brought my camera here. It's very calming for me." This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona State offensive lineman Champ Westbrooks living up to name