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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| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | April 28, 1955 Brenham, Texas, U.S. | ||||||
| Died: | October 27, 1992 (aged 37) Marietta, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 265 lb (120 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Brenham (TX) | ||||||
| College: | Houston (1973–1976) | ||||||
| NFL draft: | 1977 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
Professional career edit
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 edit
Whitley died at the age of 37, due to a heart attack.[3]
Honors edit
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 edit
- ^ "Former UH Great Wilson Whitley To Be Inducted Into The College Football Hall of Fame". University of Houston.
- ^ "Cincinnati Bengals History, 1981". Cincinnati Bengals.
- ^ "Wilson Whitley, Football Player, 37". The New York Times.
- ^ "'70s UH standout Whitley to enter College Hall of Fame". Houston Chronicle.
External links edit
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