For Jabar Westerman, football is all in the family

Some are skeptical of the idea that football talent can run in the blood, but don't tell that to Jabar Westerman. The B.C. Lions' newest defensive end, chosen second overall in Thursday's CFL draft from Eastern Michigan, comes from quite the football family, and is the youngest of three brothers who have shown remarkable gridiron talent. The oldest brother, Jamaal, is a linebacker for the NFL's Miami Dolphins, while middle brother Jawaan played wide receiver at Rutgers and participated in the CFL's evaluation camp with Jabar in March; although Jawaan wasn't drafted Thursday, he may still catch on with a team in the weeks to come. Jabar Westerman said on a conference call Thursday that his family has played a crucial role in his success, supporting him throughout his football career thus far and preparing him for the draft.

"The family's always helped me," he said. "Family is really how I got through this whole situation."

Westerman said E-Camp and the draft were difficult to prepare for, as they're quite different processes from everything else in a football career. At E-Camp in particular, players have to perform to their peak physical ability in specific drills under a lot of pressure, and they also have to impress teams with their interviews and work ethics. Fortunately for Westerman, though, he had an excellent resource to lean on; his oldest brother. Jamaal wasn't drafted by the NFL after playing at Rutgers (and wasn't eligible for the CFL draft, as he didn't live in Canada long enough while growing up to be a non-import), but he went through all the draft preparation for that league, and it paid off when he signed as an undrafted free agent with the New York Jets in 2009. Jabar Westerman said Jamaal's guidance was crucial in getting him ready for the CFL draft.

"He really mentored me through this whole situation."

It's worked out very well for the younger Westerman. There was some question about if he'd even qualify for this draft, as he had to track down paperwork to prove that he'd lived in Canada while growing up (making him eligible for non-import status, which requires players to be physically resident in Canada for an aggregate of 7 years prior to turning 15, or an aggregate of 5 years before turning 18 if they're Canadian residents). He got that in and got his status approved in time, though, and not only was he picked second overall, but he was seen as valuable enough for the Lions to trade up to get him. He said he had an inkling B.C. was a contender to land him, but wasn't sure he'd wind up there until they traded up.

"I had a sense they were interested, but I didn't know I would end up there," he said. "Once they traded up, I felt they would get me."

Hours after the draft Thursday, it still hadn't really sunk in for Westerman.

"Right now, I'm kind of choking up, kind of speechless about the whole situation," he said.

If he needs advice, I'm sure he has a brother or two who might be able to provide it.