Whitney Mercilus

Whitney Mercilus is an American former professional football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons, primarily with the Houston Texans. He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini, winning the Ted Hendricks Award and the Bill Willis Trophy in 2011. Mercilus was selected in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft by the Texans, where spent the entirety of his first nine seasons and earned a second-team All-Pro selection in 2016. After being released by Houston early into the 2021 season, he last played for the Green Bay Packers.