PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Brian Westbrook dismisses his critics the same way he shrugs off tacklers.

He knows he isn’t the biggest running back in the NFL and he hasn’t played a full season in his first two years with the Philadelphia Eagles. But Westbrook is determined to prove he isn’t undersized and injury-prone.

“I feel I can carry the load,” Westbrook said. “I never really doubted myself. The media doubted me. Other people doubted me, not including my team. I always felt that I could do it.”

Listed at 5-foot-10 and 205 pounds in Philadelphia’s media guide, Westbrook is closer to 5-8. No matter, he’s one of the quickest and most elusive runners in the league. Behind quarterback Donovan McNabb, he’s probably the Eagles’ most indispensable player, even ahead of wide receiver Terrell Owens.

With Westbrook sidelined by an injury, the Eagles’ offense was completely shut down in a 14-3 loss to Carolina in the NFC championship game last January.

“He’s such a unique athlete,” fullback Jon Ritchie said. “He has strangely amazing balance and speed in every direction, stopping, starting. He is so low to the ground. He’s able to run with incredible leverage. He’s got great vision. He’s a thrill to block for.”

Westbrook, Correll Buckhalter and Duce Staley formed Philadelphia’s “three-headed monster” rushing attack last season, combining for 2,157 total yards and 29 touchdowns.

But Staley left for Pittsburgh and Buckhalter went down with a season-ending knee injury in the preseason, leaving Westbrook with veteran Dorsey Levens and inexperienced Reno Mahe and Thomas Tapeh in the backfield.

“I want to show that I can carry the load every game,” Westbrook said. “I want to show that I can play a 16-game season, as well as, hopefully, the playoffs.”

Westbrook is off to a good start entering Monday night’s game against the Minnesota Vikings. He ran 17 times for 119 yards and had three catches in Philadelphia’s 31-17 season-opening victory over the New York Giants. His total of 20 touches were a career-high.

“I get more confidence every carry I get,” Westbrook said. “When I approach a game, I just want to get enough touches for my team to win. If my team needs me to carry the ball, I want to get enough for my team to win. The biggest thing for me, as well as any offensive player, is for us to win.”

A dangerous special teams player who returned two punts for TDs last year, Westbrook isn’t being used as a returner to avoid risking an injury. He missed one regular-season game last year with an ankle injury and sat out the playoffs with a torn triceps. He also missed his sophomore season at Villanova with a knee injury, but still set an NCAA record with 9,885 all-purpose yards.

“People have doubted me because of my size, because I had injuries in the past, because I went to Villanova,” said Westbrook, a third-round pick in 2002. “I always had confidence in myself and confidence in the things that I could do.”

AP-ES-09-20-04 1522EDT