Robert M. Whetsel

Robert “Bob” Whetsel, who was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1973 Wasp football squad, was inducted into the Emory & Henry Sports Hall of Fame in 1982.

Whetsel started every game and played in every quarter of his four-year football career at Emory & Henry. His freshman through junior years he earned All-Conference Honorable Mention.

His senior year, the 1973 season, Whetsel served as one of the team’s tri-captains. That season, the team captured the Virginia College Athletic Conference title and Whetsel earned All-VCAA and Little All-America honors. In addition to winning the team MVP award that year, Whetsel also was named Best Defensive Player and won the Porterfield Award, the most esteemed award the college bestows on a male athlete, for his leadership and character in the campus community.

In addition to football, Whetsel was involved in Greek life on campus. He served as president of Phi Gamma Phi social fraternity and as the president of Intra-Fraternity Council. He also lettered one year in golf.

After graduating, Whetsel went on to a career in education, teaching history and coaching football at Knoxville Bearden High School, where he was also a sponsor of Bearden High Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He later became Director of Redevelopment for the city of Knoxville.