Hugh Whelchel

Hugh Calvin "Puss" Whelchel (July 20, 1900 – April 1, 1968) was an American college football player.

Hugh Whelchel

Whelchel c. 1921 "Puss"
Georgia Bulldogs – No. 45
Position	Guard
Class	Graduate
Personal information
Born:	(1900-07-20)July 20, 1900 Dahlonega, Georgia, U.S.
Died:	April 1, 1968(1968-04-01) (aged 67) Sanford, Florida, U.S.
Weight	200 lb (91 kg)
Career history
College	Georgia (1919–1922)
Career highlights and awards
SIAA championship (1920, 1921) All-Southern (1920, 1921, 1922) Third-team All-American (1921)

Early years

Hugh was born on July 20, 1900, in Dahlonega, Georgia, to Henry Cowan Whelchel and Clara Annabel Moore. Hugh was a first cousin of Georgia Tech football player Dan Whelchel.

University of Georgia

He was a prominent guard for the Georgia Bulldogs of the University of Georgia from 1919 to 1922. He was said to have blocked 19 kicks in his college football career.^[1] Whelchel was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.^[2] He was nominated though not selected for an Associated Press All-Time Southeast 1869-1919 era team.^[3]

1920

His kick blocking featured in the 21–14 victory over Alabama in 1920.^[4] Buck Cheves returned the block 87 yards for a touchdown and the win,^[5] ranked fourth in The 50 Greatest Plays In Georgia Bulldogs Football History.^[6] Georgia was 8–0–1 and SIAA champions in 1920, as well as the first team known as the "Bulldogs."

1921

He was selected as a third-team All-American by Walter Camp in 1921.

1922

Whelchel was unanimously elected captain of the 1922 team.^[7] Camp gave him honorable mention.^[8]