Michael Westbrook Michael Deanailo Westbrook ( born July 7 , 1972 ) is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League ( NFL ) and is also a former mixed martial artist . Westbrook played college football for the University of Colorado , and was recognized as an All - American . He was drafted in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft , and played professionally for the Washington Redskins and Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL . After retiring from football , he later competed as a mixed martial arts fighter in the heavyweight division . Early years . Westbrook was born in Detroit , Michigan . He attended Chadsey High School in Detroit , and played for the Chadsey Explorers high school football team . College football . Westbrook attended the University of Colorado at Boulder , where he played for the Colorado Buffaloes football team from 1991 to 1994 . As senior in 1994 , he was the receiver in the play known as " The Miracle at Michigan , " a Hail Mary pass from Buffaloes quarterback Kordell Stewart to beat the Michigan Wolverines in the final seconds of the game . At the conclusion of the season , he was recognized as a consensus first - team All - American , and was the recipient of the Paul Warfield Trophy as the best college wide receiver in the nation . Professional football . The Washington Redskins selected Westbrook in the first round ( fourth overall pick ) of the 1995 NFL Draft , and played for seven seasons in Washington , before playing the 2002 season with the Cincinnati Bengals . In August 1997 , the Redskins fined Westbrook $ 50 , 000 for punching teammate , running back Stephen Davis , an incident caught by local TV news cameras . While injuries hampered Westbrook for much of his NFL career , he played all 16 games in 1999 and achieved three career highs , 65 receptions for 1 , 191 yards and nine touchdowns . Westbrook finished his career with 285 receptions for 4 , 374 yards and 26 touchdowns . He also rushed 22 times for 160 yards and one touchdown . Martial arts . Westbrook practiced martial arts during his football playing career , and entered Brazilian Jiu - Jitsu after retirement from the NFL in 2002 . He has won national and Pan - American events as a brown belt . In 2008 he won the International Brazilian Jiu - Jitsu Federation ( " IBJJF " ) World Championship at brown belt . Westbrook said of jiu - jitsu , " This is a lot easier and a lot more fun [ than football ] . I don ' t have to worry about coaches and it ' s not nearly as dangerous . I don ' t have to worry about pleasing the public and the announcers . Or getting eggs thrown at my door because I dropped a ball . I don ' t have to worry about any of that . " Having previously trained with the MASH FIGHT TEAM in Michigan with Former " King Of The Cage " Light Heavyweight Champion James Lee , Westbook now trains at Arizona Combat Sports in Tempe , Arizona . As a mixed martial artist , Westbrook competes in the heavyweight ( 206 - 265 lbs . ) division . He fought once in 2005 and defeated fellow NFL veteran Jarrod Bunch in the main event of a King of the Cage event in Cleveland , Ohio . After the Bunch fight , Westbrook was inactive for four years ; and his return to professional MMA was less successful than his debut . In February , 2009 , Travis Browne defeated Westbrook in San Bernardino , California , by technical knockout in the third round . In July 2009 , Westbrook squared off against Nick Gaston in the main event of a King of the Cage card in Lac du Flambeau , Wisconsin . One minute into the fight , Gaston struck Westbrook in the groin with a knee strike , and Westbrook could not continue . The fight was ruled a no contest . Westbrook also fought on episode 2 of MTV ' s Bully Beatdown . On that episode , it was stated that Westbrook owns a black belt in taekwondo and has reached brown - belt status in Brazilian Jiu - Jitsu under Gustavo Dantas . Westbrook was promoted to a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu - Jitsu in 2010 .