John Esten "Billick" Whelchel (April 1, 1898 – November 5, 1973) was a decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of Vice Admiral, American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator.

Whelchel was born on April 1, 1898, in Hogansville, Georgia, but he spent his childhood in Washington, D.C. His family had a deep history with the military: his maternal grandfather James Longstreet was a general for the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War while his older brother James Longstreet Whelchel went to the United States Military Academy.

[1][2] After graduating from Western High School, Whelchel attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he played quarterback and halfback for the Navy Midshipmen football team.

McCall was assigned to the patrol duty in the Pacific and Whelchel spent next two years at sea with Destroyer Squadron Six, Battle Force, under the command of Freeland A. Daubin.

At the end of the season, Larson departed for the United States Marine Corps as the country entered World War II and Whelchel was promoted to head coach in his place.

On December 18, Whelchel was named Captain and the Naval Academy's new athletic director, the latter of which he took over from former college teammate Lyman S. Perry Sr.[9][10] The Midshipmen improved in 1943 to an 8–1 record and ranked fourth in the final AP poll.

When Whelchel was called into service in the Pacific theater, his position as head coach was filled by Commander Oscar Hagberg, who was returning from there.

[11] Whelchel was transferred to the Pacific theater in 1944 and subsequently took command of heavy cruiser USS San Francisco on March 10, 1945, where he succeeded another American football player Harvey Overesch.

During August 1945, Whelchel commanded the ship during the show of force in the Yellow Sea and Gulf of Pohai areas and subsequently covered minesweeping operations.

Whelchel was subsequently assigned to the Naval Station Pearl Harbor, where he was the chief of staff for the United States Pacific Fleet's ComServPac.

Despite the team's success in the first half of the decade, they suffered from a lack of continuity at the head coaching position as Edwards' predecessors Dutch Bergman and Dudley DeGroot resigned amid tensions with leadership.

Redskins quarterback Sammy Baugh described Whelchel in Myron Cope's book, The Game that was: Marshall thought the admiral would put a lot of discipline in the ball club.

"[30] Reports also claimed pressure from the job caused Whelchel's weight to drop 30 pounds since the season began and he rarely slept.

[31] After the Redskins tied the New York Bulldogs, whom they easily defeated earlier in the year, Whelchel was informed he would be dismissed following the next game against Pittsburgh.

Publicly, the team insisted the two parties agreed to end their contract by "mutual agreement", while Marshall called it a "peculiar situation, but there's nothing for me to quote.

"[31] Team vice president C. Leo DeOrsey, who wanted Notre Dame coach Frank Leahy, declared he "never was in favor of Whelchel's appointment in the first place.