Charley Trippi

Charles Louis Trippi (December 14, 1921 – October 19, 2022) was an American professional football player who spent his entire National Football League career with the Chicago Cardinals from 1947 to 1955. Primarily a halfback, his versatility allowed him to fill a multitude of roles, including quarterback, safety, punter, and return specialist. A "quintuple-threat," Trippi was adept at running, catching, passing, punting, and defense.

Before turning professional, Trippi attended the University of Georgia, where he played for the Georgia Bulldogs from 1942 to 1946, with an interlude in 1944 while serving in the military during World War II. As a sophomore, he guided Georgia to victory in the 1943 Rose Bowl and was named the game's most valuable player. 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.

Trippi was drafted first overall by the Cardinals as a "future pick" in the 1945 NFL draft. He was also pursued by the New York Yankees of the All-America Football Conference, as well as multiple professional baseball teams, before signing with Chicago, where he played out his nine-year professional career.