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Charley Trippi

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Inducted 1959

Date of Birth

12/14/1921

Birthplace

Pittston, PA

Schools

University of Georgia (1945-1946)

University of Georgia (1942-1942)

Bio

In the 1943 Rose Bowl, Georgia would face UCLA with an injured Heisman Trophy winning halfback Frank Sinkwich. In his place, unknown sophomore Charley Trippi would get his first varsity start. The rookie was magnificent, leading Georgia to a 9-0 victory and claiming the game's MVP honors. Trippi had taken his first steps toward greatness. Although World War II would delay his progress, Charley returned to Georgia for the 1945 and 1946 seasons, quickly picking up where he had left off. He led the Bulldogs to an 8-2 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. The next season, after captaining Georgia through a perfect ten-game regular season, Trippi won the Sugar Bowl for the Bulldogs when he completed a touchdown pass to Dan Edwards, clinching a 20-10 triumph over North Carolina. As a senior, he was the Heisman runner-up and won the Maxwell award as a unanimous All-America. Following graduation, Charley 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.