Position: Halfback
Years: 1942, 1945-1946
Place of Birth: Pittston, PA
Date of Birth: Dec 14, 1921
Place of Death: Athens, Georgia
Date of Death: October 19, 2022
Jersey Number: 62
Height: 5-11
Weight: 185
High School: Pittston (Pittston, PA )\ LaSalle Academy (Long Island, NY)
Charley Trippi's college debut came as disheartened Georgia fans prepared for their Bulldogs – with an injured All-America halfback and future College Football Hall of Fame inductee
Frank Sinkwich - to meet UCLA in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day in 1943. In his place, the unknown sophomore Trippi received his first varsity start. The rookie notched a magnificent performance, gaining 113 yards on 24 carries and completing 5-of-10 passes for 83 yards. Georgia claimed a 9-0 victory while Trippi's performance earned the game's MVP honors. Trippi had taken his first steps toward greatness, and the Bulldogs finished 11-1.
Serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1943-45, Trippi returned to Georgia for the final six games of 1945 and the full 1946 season, quickly picking up where he had left off. He led the Bulldogs to an 9-2 record in 1945 and broke the Oil Bowl wide open with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns that produced a 20-6 victory over Tulsa. He threw to
John Donaldson for one score, then ran 68 yards for another TD. His junior season also saw him set the SEC record for yards gained passing (323) and also total offense (384 yards on 323 passing and 61 rushing) in a 33-0 victory over Georgia Tech. Against Florida that same year, he set the SEC record for rushing in a single game with 239 yards.
He could have turned pro following the Oil Bowl game in 1945, but out of loyalty to his College Football Hall of Fame Coach, Wally Butts, Trippi returned to campus for his final year of eligibility. In addition, he had an entrenched desire to earn a college degree, which was very important to his parents who were grateful for his realizing the American dream of achieving an education.
In 1946, he claimed unanimous First Team All-America honors after captaining Georgia through a perfect 11-0 season, including an SEC title and a victory over North Carolina in the Sugar Bowl. Trippi's touchdown pass to
Dan Edwards clinched the 20-10 triumph over the Tar Heels in New Orleans. He led the SEC in scoring with 84 points and ended his senior season with 1,366 yards of total offense (744 rushing and 622 passing), claiming the Maxwell Award and finishing second in the 1946 Heisman Trophy voting.
The legendary
Jim Thorpe, a 1951 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, said Trippi was the "greatest football player I have ever seen."
Harry Gilmer, the great Alabama quarterback and a 1993 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, once noted that Trippi could play every position on the team and that he likely was the greatest player who ever lived.
Following graduation, Trippi signed a four-year, $100,000 professional contract with the Chicago Cardinals. Up to that time, only the immortal
Red Grange had been paid more. He played with the Cardinals for nine seasons, including winning the national title his rookie season.
A 1959 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Trippi has also been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame, State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Georgia Circle of Honor. He is one of only four Georgia players to have his jersey retired (No. 62).
Trippi was also an All-America baseball player in 1946 and played with the Atlanta Crackers in 1947. He hit .334 with the Crackers while still in school at UGA in the spring of 1947. He later served as an assistant coach at Georgia (1958-62) and with the St. Louis Cardinals. He returned to Athens in private business.
Trippi became a generous supporter of the NFF
University of Georgia Chapter and played in the chapter's annual golf outing and never missed the annual chapter dinner.
