Charley Trippi

Charley Trippi

No. 62, 2
Position:	Halfback, Quarterback
Personal information
Date of birth:	(1921-12-14) December 14, 1921
Place of birth:	Pittston, Pennsylvania
Height:
Weight:
Career information
High school:	Pittston Area High School
College:	Georgia
NFL draft:	1945 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1
Career history
Chicago Cardinals (1947–1955)
Career highlights and awards
2× Pro Bowl (1952, 1953) 3× All-Pro (1947, 1948, 1952) NFL Championship (1947) Maxwell Award (1946) NFL 1940s All-Decade Team Consensus All-American (1946) Georgia Bulldogs Circle of Honor Georgia Bulldogs No. 62 retired Florida–Georgia Hall of Fame
Career NFL statistics as of 1955
Rushing yards: 3,506 Rushing TDs: 23 Passing yards: 2,547 Passing TDs: 16 Receiving yards: 1,321 TD receptions: 11 Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

Charles Louis Trippi (born December 14, 1921) is a former American football player. He played college football at the University of Georgia and professionally in the National Football league (NFL) with the Chicago Cardinals. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968.

College years

Trippi attended the University of Georgia and was a two-time All-America selection. He played for Georgia in 1942 alongside Heisman winner Frank Sinkwich. Georgia finished the season with a record of 11–1 and was named consensus national champions. He was named Most Valuable Player in the 1943 Rose Bowl in Georgia's 9–0 victory over UCLA. After his college career was interrupted by World War II, he completed his career at Georgia by playing in 1945 and 1946. He won the Maxwell Award in the 1946 season. At Georgia, he was initiated into the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity. Trippi graduated from the University of Georgia in 1951 with a Bachelor of Science in education.

Atlanta Crackers

In 1947, Trippi played one season of minor league baseball with the Southern Association's Atlanta Crackers before joining the NFL. He hit .334 in 106 games.

NFL career

Trippi was a big part in the battling between the National Football League (NFL) and All-America Football Conference (AAFC). The AAFC's New York Yankees (AAFC) were sure they had signed Trippi, but Charles W. Bidwill Sr. of the Cardinals signed Trippi to a four–year contract worth $100,000 along with a first year bonus of $25,000.

Trippi's addition completed Bidwill’s quest for a "Dream Backfield." Although Bidwill did not live to see it, Trippi, became the game breaker in a talented corps that included Paul Christman, Pat Harder, Marshall Goldberg and, later, Elmer Angsman.

Trippi participated in the 1947 NFL Championship Game when the Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 28-21. Playing on an icy field in Chicago, Trippi wore basketball shoes for better traction and totaled 206 yards, including 102 yards on two punt returns. He scored touchdowns on a 44-yard run and a 75-yard punt return.

Trippi played as a left halfback for four seasons before switching to quarterback for two seasons. He then moved back to offensive halfback for one season before switching over to play defense in 1954 and 1955. He was also the Cardinals' punter and he excelled on special teams.

Trippi is the only player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame with 1000 yards of receiving, 1000 yards passing, and 1000 yards rushing. Two other players that are not in the Hall of Fame, George Taliaferro and Robert Hoernschemeyer, have that distinction as well.

After he ended his playing career, Trippi served as an assistant coach with the Cardinals from 1957 to 1965, mostly coaching the offensive backfield.

Honors

Trippi was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1965, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968. In 2007 he was ranked #20 on ESPN's Top 25 Players In College Football History list. The football stadium at Pittston Area High School in Pittston, Pennsylvania is named "Charley Trippi Stadium" in his honor.

Family

Trippi lives in Athens, Georgia with his second wife, Margaret. He had three children, Charles Jr., Brenda, and Jo Ann with his first wife, Virginia, who died in 1971.

External links

• Official website
• Charley Trippi on Facebook
• Charley Trippi on Twitter
• Charley Trippi at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Charley Trippi at the College Football Hall of Fame