He earned 16[citation needed] high school letters in football, basketball, track, and baseball, graduating in 1954.
[4] Whitsell attended the University of Indiana, and played two years on the varsity football team (1956-57).
[3][6] Over 12 seasons (1958–1960, 1961–66, 1967–69), he played at the cornerback, defensive back, and free safety positions in the NFL with the Lions, Bears, and Saints respectively.
[7] One of those touchdowns came in 1963 against former Lions teammate, and fellow Michigan native and Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame member, Earl Morrall; clinching the final regular season game with important playoff implications for the Bears.
[9][4][10][3] With the Chicago Bears he was one of the members of the 1963 National Football League championship team, which included among others Rosey Taylor and Richie Petitbon in the defensive backfield; future coach and hall of fame tight end Mike Ditka; future hall of fame defensive end Doug Adkins; and future hall of fame linebacker Bill George.
[11][12][13][14] The game, which was played on December 29, 1963, at Wrigley Field in Chicago, pitted the visiting New York Giants against the Bears in the 31st annual event.
[16] Just as in 1961, Whitsell was left exposed in the 1967 expansion draft, and was taken by the newly created New Orleans Saints.
[4] That first Saints team also included former Bears teammate Adkins, and former Green Bay Packer star Jim Taylor,[17] among others.
[20][21] In 1967, Whitsell also tied for the NFL league lead in interceptions with 10 (along with Lem Barney), two of which he returned for touchdowns.
He was also a member of the National Football League Retired Players Association[28] and the Kenner North Kiwanis Club.