Wilson_Whitley

Wilson Whitley

Wilson Whitley

American football player (1955–1992)

Wilson Carl Whitley Jr. (May 28, 1955 – October 27, 1992) was an American professional football defensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Houston Cougars, where he was named a consensus All-American under defensive coordinator Don Todd. He led the Cougars to the Southwest Conference championship in 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.[1] He was later named to the 1970s Southwest Conference All-Decade Team.

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Professional career

Whitley was drafted in the first round of the 1977 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals and started alongside another Lombardi Award winner, Ross Browner, for 6 seasons.[2]

Death

Whitley died at the age of 37, due to a heart attack.[3]

Honors

He is a 1998 inductee into University of Houston's Hall of Honor and was a perennial candidate for the College Football Hall of Fame until his selection in 2007.[4]

References

  1. [1]
    "Former UH Great Wilson Whitley To Be Inducted Into The College Football Hall of Fame". University of Houston.
  2. [2]
    "Cincinnati Bengals History, 1981". Cincinnati Bengals.
  3. [3]
    "Wilson Whitley, Football Player, 37". The New York Times.
  4. [4]
    "'70s UH standout Whitley to enter College Hall of Fame". Houston Chronicle.
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