Charley Trippi

Charles Louis Trippi (December 14, 1921 – October 19, 2022) was an American professional football player for the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) from 1947 to 1955.

Although primarily a halfback, his versatility allowed him to fill a multitude of roles over his career, including quarterback, safety, punter, and return specialist.

A "quintuple-threat", Trippi was adept at running, catching, passing, punting, and defense.

Charles Louis Trippi was born to an Italian immigrant father on December 14, 1921, in Pittston, Pennsylvania, a coal-mining community.

Seeking to avoid the dangers of a life mining coal like his father, Trippi turned to sports.

He attended Pittston High School and began his football career as a tailback for the school's football team.

He also played semi-professional baseball while in high school.

Considered undersized at 160 lbs, Trippi was turned down by four colleges before being recruited to play for the University of Georgia by Georgia alum Harold "War Eagle" Ketron.

Trippi attended the University of Georgia, where he played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs from 1942 to 1946, with an interlude in 1944 while serving in the military during World War II.

He was given a scholarship and played for the Georgia Bulldogs football varsity team from 1942 to 1946, with an interlude in 1944 due to World War II.

As a sophomore in 1942, he played alongside that season's Heisman Trophy winner Frank Sinkwich.

That year, Trippi and Sinkwich led Georgia to a 75–0 win over rival Florida, a game in which Trippi threw a touchdown pass to end George Poschner, scored two rushing touchdowns, and on defense returned an interception for a touchdown.

Georgia finished the season with a record of 11–1 and was named the consensus national champion.

As a sophomore, he guided Georgia to victory in the 1943 Rose Bowl and was named the game's most valuable player.

Trippi then guided Georgia to a 9–0 victory over UCLA in the 1943 Rose Bowl, in which he carried 27 times for 115 yards and also handled passing and punting duties.

Trippi's college career was interrupted by World War II, causing him to miss the 1943 and 1944 seasons and all but six games in 1945.

He played for the 1944 Third Air Force Gremlins football team and was selected as a first-team back on the Associated Press' 1944 Service All-America team.

It was at the Chicago College All-Star Game that Bidwell decided he would draft Trippi first overall, as "Card-Pitt" was winless in 1944 and in need of a play-maker.

"He said, 'I'm gonna get ya,'" Trippi recalled.

"He wanted me to play for him, and I said, 'All you've got to do is draft me and I'm ready.'"

In addition to football, Trippi was highly sought-after for his baseball skills.

Drafted first overall by the Cardinals as a "future pick" in the 1945 NFL draft, Trippi was also pursued by the New York Yankees of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) as well as multiple professional baseball teams.

He ultimately signed a record $100,000 contract with the Cardinals.

While in the service in 1945, he was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League as a future pick; per an agreement with Cardinals owner Charles Bidwill, Trippi was allowed to return to Georgia after his time in the military.

Despite missing Georgia's first five games of the 1945 season, Trippi was named a first-team All-Southeastern Conference back by both the Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI).

He threw a 54-yard touchdown pass and returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown in Georgia's 20–6 win over Tulsa in the Oil Bowl on New Year's Day.

He was named the Most Valuable Player of the game in 1945.

As a senior in 1946, he won the Maxwell Award as the nation's most outstanding college football player, was named the Southeastern Conference's player of the year, and earned first-team unanimous All-America recognition.

In 1946, Trippi led Georgia to its first undefeated season.

Against rival Georgia Tech in the final game of that year, Trippi compiled 544 combined yards rushing, passing, and returning kicks, and scored three touchdowns in Georgia's 35–7 victory.

Georgia then defeated North Carolina 20–10 in the Sugar Bowl, where Trippi carried 14 times for 54 yards and threw a 67-yard touchdown pass to end Dan Edwards.

After the season, Trippi was given the Maxwell Award as the most outstanding college player in the nation, the Walter Camp Memorial Trophy as the nation's best back, and was a unanimous choice for the All-America team.

He finished as runner-up in Heisman Trophy voting behind winner Glenn Davis of Army.

Due to relaxed regulations during World War II, Trippi holds the unusual distinction of participating in the Chicago College All-Star Game a record five times: twice with Georgia, twice in the military, and once with the Cardinals.

As a senior on Georgia's baseball team in 1946, he recorded a batting average of .475 and hit 11 home runs in 30 games while playing as a shortstop and outfielder.

As a rookie, Trippi led Chicago's "Million Dollar Backfield" to victory in the 1947 NFL Championship Game.

By the time he retired he had compiled the most yards of total offense by a player in NFL history.

In 1947, Trippi played one season of minor league baseball with the Southern Association's Atlanta Crackers.

He was retroactively named the game's most valuable player when the award was created in 1953.

Trippi was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968.