Bryan Willingham was a two-sport standout at Pasadena High School, excelling in football and track. A three-year letterman, he starred as a wide receiver and safety, earning All-District honors and leading the 1970 District Champion Eagles with 48 receptions for 695 yards and 11 touchdowns, earning team MVP honors. On the track, he contributed to record-setting one-mile and two-mile relay teams in 1971.

Willingham’s talent shined on the big stage when he represented Pasadena in the Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star Game, setting a receiving record with 11 catches for 172 yards and three touchdowns, and earning Most Valuable Lineman honors in the South’s 65-0 victory.

He continued his career at the University of Houston, where he made an immediate impact as a freshman, earning the Walter Caldwell Jr. Award as Most Valuable Freshman and MVP of the Shrine Bowl. Over three seasons as a starter, Willingham became one of the Cougars’ top receivers, highlighted by a junior year in which he caught a memorable 83-yard touchdown pass and led the nationally ranked 11-1 team in receiving, averaging 20 yards per catch in 1973.