Willie Whitehead
Encyclopedia
William Whitehead, Jr. is a professional American
and Canadian football
defensive end
, most recently for the New Orleans Saints
of the National Football League
. He walked-on to play college football
with Auburn
before winning a scholarship. He graduated with a Communications degree in 1994, garnering 65 tackles and five sacks his senior season.
for the 1995 season. After being cut by the 49ers, he split time between the CFL's
Baltimore Stallions
active roster and the 49ers practice squad. The following season he played with the CFL's Montreal Alouettes
and then in 1997 he led the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
in sacks and added 44 tackles. After his strong showing in the CFL, Whitehead spent the 1998 training camp with the Detroit Lions
before having a brief stint with the Frankfurt Galaxy
of NFL Europe
. In 1999, Whitehead found his place on a permanent NFL roster, earning a starting position with the New Orleans Saints
, with whom he has remained for the last eight seasons of his NFL career. He has the second most sacks among current Saints players with 24.5 sacks (the other defensive end Charles Grant
leads with 33). On June 15, 2007 the Saints released him.
fraternity.
Whitehead along with Ira Newbie appeared together on a episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta
where they were dates at an auction.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and Canadian football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
, most recently for the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He walked-on to play college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
with Auburn
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
before winning a scholarship. He graduated with a Communications degree in 1994, garnering 65 tackles and five sacks his senior season.
Pro career
Whitehead began his pro career signing as an undrafted free agent with the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
for the 1995 season. After being cut by the 49ers, he split time between the CFL's
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
Baltimore Stallions
Baltimore Stallions
The Baltimore Stallions were a Canadian Football League team based in Baltimore, Maryland, which played the 1994 and 1995 seasons. They were the most successful American team in the Canadian Football League, having two winning seasons and a division title. In 1995 they became the only American team...
active roster and the 49ers practice squad. The following season he played with the CFL's Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
and then in 1997 he led the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
in sacks and added 44 tackles. After his strong showing in the CFL, Whitehead spent the 1998 training camp with the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
before having a brief stint with the Frankfurt Galaxy
Frankfurt Galaxy
The Frankfurt Galaxy was a professional American football team that originally played in the World League of American Football and later in the resurrected NFL Europe. The team was based in Frankfurt, Germany and played in the Commerzbank-Arena, formerly called the Waldstadion.-History:In 1991, the...
of NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
. In 1999, Whitehead found his place on a permanent NFL roster, earning a starting position with the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, with whom he has remained for the last eight seasons of his NFL career. He has the second most sacks among current Saints players with 24.5 sacks (the other defensive end Charles Grant
Charles Grant (American football)
Charles Gabriel Grant is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
leads with 33). On June 15, 2007 the Saints released him.
Personal
Whitehead and his father, Willie Whitehead, Sr. are both members of Phi Beta SigmaPhi Beta Sigma
Phi Beta Sigma is a predominantly African-American fraternity which was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The founders A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I...
fraternity.
Whitehead along with Ira Newbie appeared together on a episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta
The Real Housewives of Atlanta
The Real Housewives of Atlanta is an American reality television series on the Bravo cable network that premiered in the fall of 2008. Following the format of its predecessors , in 2009 the Atlanta series was not only the highest rated show of the The Real Housewives of... franchise, it was the...
where they were dates at an auction.