5. Houston: Wilson Whitley, Defensive Tackle (1972-1976): Lombardi award winning defensive tackle Wilson Whitley was arguably the baddest hombre to play in the late, great Southwestern Conference during the mid-1970s. He could fire off the ball like a rocket. He delivered blows to opposing lineman that were worthy of a montage in a Rocky sequel. Whitley was a standout on the Cincinnati Bengals teams of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Sadly, he passed away at age 37 due to a congenital heart condition. He was inducted into College Football’s Hall of Fame in 2007.
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Wish I had gotten to watch him play.
It was a privilege to watch Wilson Whitley play and I never thought we would see another like him but now we have Ed Oliver. Enjoy watching this young man he is something special.
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My first year on campus was the fall of 1976. I could not appreciate yet how special it was to see Whitley play. He was a true beast on the field. then we won 3 out of 4 of the next SWC championships and you start to think it would always be like that, Wow,… those were great days. .
Ed Oliver is a monster in his own right and could be as good or possibly even better when it is all done. Go big Ed, you make us proud !
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