When former UH defensive tackle Wilson Whitley ended his collegiate career in the 1977 Cotton Bowl, he had already established a legacy as one of the premier defensive lineman of his generation.
Nearly 16 years after his death, Whitley is still revered as one of the elite defensive linemen in college football history.
Whitley was among 14 players and coaches enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame on Saturday in South Bend, Ind.
It is the highest honor for Whitley, who died Oct. 27, 1992 of a heart attack at age 37, but whose family and fans have had to wait until May 2007 before the Hall of Fame called with an invitation.
The enshrinement put the finishing touches on the legacy of one of UH’s greatest players. Whitley starred with the Cougars from 1972-76, winning the Rotary Lombardi Award – presented to him by President Gerald Ford in Houston – and named a consensus All-American in 1976.
He was later named Southwest Conference Defensive Player of the Decade for the 1970s despite having played only one season in the conference.
His dominant defensive play in 1976 helped the Cougars finish 10-2, win the SWC championship in their first year in the conference and defeat previously unbeaten Maryland in the Cotton Bowl.
"He was 20 years ahead of his time," former Cougars coach Art Briles, who played with Whitley for two years at UH, told The Houston Chronicle. "He was a big guy, with great feet and great passion.
"He was a tremendous leader and team player, just the epitome of a team player. His passion was toward making the University of Houston a great football team."
Whitley, a Brenham, Texas native, was so aggressive opponents had to double or triple-team him to protect their ball carrier. He was the backbone of the 1976 defense, limiting opponents to 10 or fewer points in five regular-season games. That unit’s highlight was a 30-0 road thrashing of Texas, which was held to only eight first downs and 24 rushing yards.
Whitley led the 1976 team in sacks (five), forced fumbles (three) and fumble recoveries (three). He finished second in tackles with 50 and assists with 15. In the Cougars’ 30-21 win over Maryland in the Cotton Bowl, Whitley had eight tackles (five unassisted) and two tackles for loss.
"Wilson was such a good athlete that when the tackle would try to block down on him, Wilson would have the quarterback in one arm and the dive back in the other arm," former UH defensive line coach Don Todd said in 2001. "He would take them both and hang on until he figured out where the ball was."
Whitley was drafted eighth overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1977 draft. He played six seasons with the Bengals, helping them reach Super Bowl XVI, and spent his final season with the Houston Oilers.
Whitley was previously also inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 1985 and the UH Hall of Honor in 1998. Texas Football Magazine named him to its Silver Anniversary Team as both a high school and collegiate player.
"I think it’s totally deserved," former UH coach Bill Yeoman said in 2007 of Whitley’s induction. "He was one of the really great players in college football history."
Other inducted players include former Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie, former USC linebacker Richard Wood and former Notre Dame nose tackle Chris Zorich. Penn State head coach Joe Paterno, who is one of the first active coaches inducted, and former Central Michigan head coach Herb Deromedi were the only two coaches included in this year’s class.
