AUSTIN, Texas - Two NFL quarterbacks, both Super Bowl MVP winners, playing against each other in the playoffs.
- Westlake High School held end-of-season banquet Sunday
- Westlake produced NFL quarterbacks Drew Brees and Nick Foles
- Current Westlake quarterback models himself on Brees
With alumni like this, it's hard not to be considered a football powerhouse. That's why Westlake High School wears that distinction with pride.
That pride was on display during their annual end-of-season football banquet. The night was meant to celebrate the end of a long season with awards, speeches and hope for the future. It was hard to focus during the Eagles v. Saints game, a matchup where both quarterbacks, Drew Brees of the Saints and Nick Foles of the Eagles, had suited up for Westlake during their high school career.
Westlake athletic director and varsity football coach Todd Dodge said he uses the two pros as inspiration for his current players, especially the quarterbacks.
"One thing we talk to our quarterbacks about is stay hungry and stay humble, you're always the next play away," Dodge said. "It's been nice to have two guys that played here that you have a great example of right in front of them."
Nobody takes that message to heart like starting quarterback Taylor Anderson. As a senior, he's no stranger to the types of record-breaking careers that his predecessors are known for. He broke the record for longest pass play from scrimmage with a 99-yard pass during this year's playoffs.
"Seeing how they play and how accurate and how physical they are and how I can do that in my game and how I can input that and help other guys in their leadership," Anderson said. "It's key to me and it helped me a lot this year."
Anderson is still undecided on where he'll take his talents next year for college. Anderson said he models his game mostly after Drew Brees because both players are considered undersized. His motivation to keep going despite that designation is also modeled after the Saints' quarterback.
"He's always been undersized, he's been looked over," Anderson said. "I think I kinda took his playing style in my play to play as the undersized quarterback and prove a lot of people wrong."
Westlake finished the year 13-2 after being eliminated in the semifinals of the state playoffs.