Charley Trippi

Charles Louis Trippi (born December 14, 1921) is a former professional American football player for the Chicago Cardinals. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968.

Mr. Trippi currently resides in Athens, Georgia. The football stadium at Pittston Area High School (Pittston, Pennsylvania) is named "Charley Trippi Stadium" in his honor.

College years

Trippi attended the University of Georgia and was a two-time All-America selection. He played for Georgia in 1942 along side Heisman winner Frank Sinkwich. Georgia finished the season 11-1 and were 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. He was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.

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. Charley Trippi's grandson, Nick Trippi, also resides in Athens, GA where he is the head of security and surveillance at The Loft.

Trippi graduated from the University of Georgia in 1951 with a Bachelor of Science in Education and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959. He was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1965. In 2007, he was ranked #20 on ESPN's Top 25 Players In College Football History list.

NFL career

Trippi was a big part in the battling between the NFL and AAFC. The AAFC's New York Giants (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.

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

Never was Trippi more magnificent than in the 1947 NFL Championship Game when the Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 28-21. Playing on an icy field in Chicago, Charley 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.

He 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 Bob Hoernschemeyer--have that distinction as well)

External links

• Pro Football Hall of Fame: member biography