Wilson Whitley

Wilson Whitley

No. 78
Defensive tackle
Personal information
Date of birth: (1955-04-28)April 28, 1955
Place of birth: Brenham, Texas
Date of death: October 27, 1992(1992-10-27) (aged 37)
Place of death: Marietta, Georgia
High School: Brenham (TX)
Career information
College: Houston
NFL Draft: 1977 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8
Debuted in 1977 for the [[]]
Last played in 1982 for the [[]]
Career history
*Cincinnati Bengals ( 1977– 1982) Houston Oilers ( 1983)
Career highlights and awards
Stats at DatabaseFootball.com
College Football Hall of Fame

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.

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 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.