Wilson Whitley
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 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. 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 | ||||||
| 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 NFL.com · PFR | |||||||
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.
Death
Whitley died at the age of 37, due to a heart condition.
Honors
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.