Ken Whisenhunt: Hall of Fame Class of 2024
Ken Whisenhunt, Football (1980-84)
One of the heroes for the Georgia Tech football team as it became competitive in its early years of Atlantic Coast Conference membership, Ken Whisenhunt played quarterback and tight end for the Yellow Jackets. It was as a true freshman QB in 1980 that he achieved perhaps his greatest fame, entering the game against No. 1 and undefeated Notre Dame as an emergency quarterback and leading team on its lone scoring drive to force a 3-3 tie at the final horn. Whisenhunt went on to become one of the best tight ends in the ACC, earning first-team All-ACC and honorable mention All-America honors as a senior in 1984. Whisenhunt ranks first among Georgia Tech tight ends with 82 career receptions (18th overall) and 1,264 career yards (17th overall), and he led the team in receiving yards in 1983 and 1984. Drafted by Atlanta Falcons in 12th round of 1984 NFL Draft, he played nine seasons for Atlanta, Washington and the New York Jets before embarking on a lengthy NFL coaching career with head coaching stints at Tennessee and Arizona, where he guided the Cardinals to a berth in Super Bowl XLIII.
