Charley Trippi

Paul Shebby (presenter):
Mr. Mayor, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen. It's a real pleasure for me to present the next candidate for induction into Pro Football's Hall of Fame. Success is spelled P-E-P by this man, and when you break this little three letter word down into a formula, it means pride plus effort equals production. How much pep did this man have is evidence by the success he had. During his high school days at Pittstown, Pa. he was selected on the all-state football team. And he led his high school team to undefeated seasons and conference championships. At the University of Georgia, he was selected on the All-American Team two years in a row. He led great Bulldog teams to conference championships and undefeated seasons, and victories in the Oil Bowl, the Sugar Bowl and the Rose Bowl. As a member of the armed forces, he was named to the all-service team while playing with the third Air- Force during WW-II. As a pro playing nine seasons with the World Champions - Chicago Cardinals during the glory days of the dream backfield of Angsman, Chrisman, Harter, and Trippi under the coaching of Jim Conzelman. He was an all-pro, if there is an all-pro. If the criterion for an all-pro is giving your best, every second of every game, then this man is truly an all- pro. He holds an outstanding record, having participated in four All-Star games, as a collegian and this record, I don't think, ever will be equaled again unless we get into another war, a shooting war, a declared war. And, of course, he played with the National Champion Chicago Cardinals in 1948 in the All-Star Game. And so, it’s with a deep feeling of personal pride, that I present for induction to Pro Football Hall of Fame, an outstanding athlete, a great sportsman and a true gentleman, Charlie Trippi.

Charlie Trippi:
Ladies and gentlemen, half the walk has transpired here the last few days, I just wanted to say I’m glad I played football. You know, football has enriched my life in so many ways that it also gave me a lifetime ambition, and made me set many goals, but this goal today is probably the greatest. You know in football, when you play football, you have many great weekends, but this to me would be a lasting weekend I'll never forget. You know in football when you have success a lot of times, it often reflects on the people that you played with and to them I want to say thank you. And in conclusion, I'd like to pay tribute to those people primary responsible for my career. First my high school coach, Paul Shebby, then my college coach Wallace Butts, and my pro coach, Jimmy Conzelman. I want to thank them for their guidance and their understanding. Thank you very much.