Yeah, the similarities between the real Dr. Jones, an archeologist focused primarily on ancient Hebrew artifacts - especially the Ark of the Covenant - and skilled in the use of a whip and the movie character who used a whip as a tool and a weapon and who was also obsessed with finding the Ark of the Covenant was just a big coincidence.
And that such a person with coincidental interests should also coincidentally be known as ‘Endy’ in his youth is quite a large coincidence.
At various times I heard Vendyl claim that he was the inspiration, and at other times he denied it, affirming the coincidence.