Wilson Whitley
Wilson Whitley (May 28, 1955 – October 27, 1992) was a consensus All-American defensive tackle at the University of Houston from 1972-1976 under defensive coordinator Don Todd. He led the Cougars to the Southwest Conference championship in football during Houston's first season as a conference member and won the 1976 Lombardi Award as the nation's top lineman. Former President Gerald Ford presented him the award at a ceremony in Houston, Texas.
| No. 78 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Born: | April 28, 1955 Brenham, Texas | ||
| Died: | October 27, 1992 (aged 37) Marietta, Georgia | ||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||
| Weight: | 265 lb (120 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Brenham (Brenham, Texas) | ||
| College: | Houston | ||
| NFL Draft: | 1977 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8 | ||
| Career history | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Whitley was drafted in the first round by the Cincinnati Bengals and started alongside another Lombardi Award winner, Ross Browner, for 6 seasons. He was later named to the Southwest Conference "All Decade Team" for the 1970s.
Whitley died at the age of 37, due to a heart condition. He is a 1998 inductee into University of Houston's Hall of Honor and was a perennial candidate for the National College Football Hall of Fame until his selection in 2007.