From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wilson Whitley (born May 28, 1955, died October 27, 1992) was a consensus All-American defensive tackle at the University of Houston, having played there from 1972-1976 under then 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 was named the Lombardi Award winner for 1976, as the nation's top lineman. He was presented the award by Former President Gerald Ford at a ceremony in Houston, Texas.
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 70's.
Whitley suffered an untimely death at the age of 37, due to a heart condition. He is a 1998 inductee into UofH's Hall of Honor and was a perennial candidate for the National College Football Hall of Fame until his selection in 2007.
