Kenny Wilhite Season 1991

Honors & Awards
Two-Time Honorable-Mention All-Big Eight (Coaches, 1991, 1992)
Big Eight Interceptions Leader (1991)
Four Seasons in the Canadian Football League (1994-97)
CFL All-Star (Ottawa Rough Riders, 1996)

1992 (Senior)
Kenny Wilhite returned from reconstructive knee surgery to start all 11 games at left cornerback for the Huskers as a senior in 1992. He hauled in three interceptions (Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma), which tied John Reece for the team lead. He added a career-long 49-yard return after his interception at Missouri. Wilhite also led the Big Red with seven pass breakups and totaled 40 tackles (28 solos) to help Nebraska capture its second consecutive Big Eight title and earn a trip to the 1993 Federal Express Orange Bowl against Florida State. He added three more unassisted tackles against the Seminoles. 

Wilhite played in 19 career regular-season games for the Huskers with 11 starts as a senior. He finished his Husker career with nine interceptions, while totaling 10 pass breakups and 52 tackles (36 solos). He added one TFL for one yard and one QB hurry in his career.

He played professionally for four seasons in the Canadian Football League after originally signing an NFL free agent contract with the Chicago Bears in 1993. Wilhite was a practice squad player for the Sacramento Gold Miners in 1993, before playing for the Miners in 1994. He starred for the San Antonio Texans in 1995, before putting together an all-star season with the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1996, when he finished third in the CFL’s Player-of-the-Year voting. He finished his playing career with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1997, although he signed a contract with the Edmonton Eskimos in 1998. He played in 57 career CFL games with 13 starts, while recording nine career interceptions. He added 1,733 career kickoff return yards and 1,140 career punt return yards, while totaling 108 tackles.

1991 (Junior)
Wilhite led the Big Eight with six interceptions despite playing just eight of 11 regular-season games. He missed NU’s final two games of the season after suffering a knee injury after pulling down his second interception of the day in a win at Kansas (Nov. 9). He also missed the game against Oklahoma State with a shoulder injury. Wilhite added 12 tackles, including eight solos, while contributing three pass breakups and a quarterback hurry in addition to his six interceptions, which were just one shy of the Nebraska single-season school record of seven shared by Larry Wachholtz (1966), Dana Stephenson (1969) and Bill Kosch (1970).

1990 (Redshirt)
Wilhite redshirted in his first season at Nebraska while making the transition from wingback to cornerback.

Dodge City Community College
A first-team junior college All-America quarterback and two-time all-conference selection for Coach Jerry Cullen at Dodge City CC, Wilhite rushed for 700 yards and passed for 800 yards as a freshman in 1988. He rushed for 800 yards and passed for 700 yards as a sophomore, while recording 28 touchdowns in his two-year career at Dodge City CC.

Oakville High School
A first-team All-American and a unanimous all-state pick for Coach Bob Robideux as a senior at Oakville High School in the St. Louis area, Wilhite rushed for 900 yards and passed for 800 yards in 1987. He also scored 18 touchdowns. Wilhite added letters in baseball and basketball. He was named Oakville’s defensive MVP as a basketball senior in 1988.

Personal
The son of Mr. and Mrs. Eric Wilhite, Kenny was born in St. Louis. He has three younger brothers. He earned his bachelor’s degree as a human development major from Nebraska in 1992. Wilhite spent nine seasons on the Husker football staff from 2014 through 2022. Prior to his time on the recruiting and player personnel staff at Nebraska, he spent six seasons coaching defensive backs at Southeast Missouri State. He previously gained coaching experience at New Mexico State, Dodge City CC, Emporia State, Kentucky State and Central Arkansas.