Wilson Whitley

Wilson Carl Whitley Jr. was an American professional football defensive tackle who played in the National Football League. 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. He was later named to the 1970s Southwest Conference All-Decade Team.

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 attack.

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.