.jpg) Wilhoite, circa 1953 | |
| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Position | Guard |
| Personal information | |
| Born | May 3, 1930 Merced County, California, U.S. |
| Died | August 19, 2008(2008-08-19) (aged 78) Hawthorne, Nevada, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school | Merced High School |
| College | University of Southern California |
| Career history | |
| 1951–1952 | USC Trojans |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Elmer Ellsworth Wilhoite (May 3, 1930 – August 19, 2008)[1][2] was anAmerican football player and boxer. He played college football for theUSC Trojans and was a consensus selection at theguard position on the1952 College Football All-America Team.
Wilhoite was born inMerced County, California, in 1930. He attendedMerced High School.[3] He was a star athlete in the shot put during high school, throwing the 12-pound shot 56 feet, 6 inches, breaking a high school athletic record set byBob Mathias.[4]
Whilhoite enrolled at theUniversity of Southern California and, while there, played at theguard position on theUSC football team in 1951 and 1952. In theUCLA–USC rivalry in 1952, both teams were undefeated and untied and played for a spot in the1953 Rose Bowl. Wilhoite set up the game-winning touchdown when he intercepted aPaul Cameron pass and returned it 72 yards to UCLA's eight-yard line.[5] The Trojans won the 1953 Rose Bowl by a 7–0 score overWisconsin, and Wilhoite was a consensus selection for the1952 College Football All-America Team.[6]
Wilhoite was selected by theCleveland Browns in the 12th round of the1953 NFL draft, but he instead pursued a career as a boxer. In his first fight, he won by a knockout after 45 second of the first round against Humphrey Jiminez atMerced, California. In September 1953, he won his second professional bout by a second-round technical knockout (TKO) over Clayton Mann in a match at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles.[7]
In 1954, he tried out with theToronto Argonauts of theCanadian Football League (CFL), but he was released in early August 1954.[8] He signed with theBaltimore Colts in December 1954,[9] but did not make the team in 1955. In July 1957, he signed with theCalgary Stampeders of the CFL.
Wilhoite returned briefly to boxing in 1958.[10] He later operated H&S International, a salvage company. Wilhoite was married to Judy Berg and had a son, Edward, in addition to her sons, Anthony and Bill, from a previous marriage. The couple later divorced. He had six grandchildren: Travis Wilhoite (Edward), Courtney, Kyle, Angela and Rachel Vassalo (Bill), and Lily Vassalo (Anthony). Wilhoite died in 2008 atHawthorne, Nevada.[3]