Background
Wilhoite was born in Merced County, California, in 1930.
Wilhoite was born in Merced County, California, in 1930.
He attended Merced High School.
He played college football for the Trojans and was a consensus selection at the guard position on the 1952 College Football All-America Team. He was a star athlete in the shot put while in high school, throwing the 12-pound shot 56 feet, 6 inches, breaking a high school athletic record set by Bob Mathias. Whilhoite enrolled at the University of Southern California and, while there, played at the guard position on the football team in 1951 and 1952.
In the University of California, Los Angeles–rivalry in 1952, both teams were undefeated and untied and played for a spot in the 1953 Rose Bowl.
Wilhoite set up the game-winning touchdown when he intercepted a Paul Cameron pass and returned it 72 yards to University of California, Los Angeles"s eight-yard line. Wilhoite was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 12th round of the 1953 NFL Draft, but he instead pursued a career as a boxer.
In 1954, he tried out with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (Canadian Football League), but he was released in early August 1954. He signed with the Baltimore Colts in December 1954, but did not make the team in 1955.
In July 1957, he signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. Wilhoite returned briefly to boxing in 1958.
He later operated H&South International, a salvage company. 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 at Hawthorne, Nevada.