Happy Birthday, Charley Trippi!

On Dec. 14, 1921, Charles Louis Trippi made his first appearance in the world.

Over the next several decades he distinguished himself on football fields in Pennsylvania, across the Southeastern Conference and in the National Football League.

Today, Charley, his wife, Peggy, and a few close family friends plan to celebrate his 100^th birthday. It’s a milestone only one other member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame has achieved, but in keeping with his humble nature, any fanfare will be subdued.

“(Longtime friend) Loran (Smith) is going to bring a cake and put 100 candles on it,” Peggy told the Scranton (Pa.) Times-Tribune. “We will probably all just dance around and sing.”

Trippi is the only member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame who accumulated at least 1,000 yards each receiving, passing and rushing. He won an NFL championship with the Chicago Cardinals in 1947 – the franchise’s last title – and was selected as a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1940s.

Joining the Cardinals in 1947 after a war-interrupted collegiate career at the University of Georgia, Trippi could (and would) do almost anything on a football field. He played as a left halfback for four seasons before switching to quarterback for two years. He then moved back to offensive halfback for one season before changing almost exclusively to the defensive unit in 1954 and 1955. He also punted for the Cardinals and excelled on the punt and kickoff return teams.

Trippi shined brightest in the 1947 NFL Championship Game, when the Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 28-21. Playing on an icy field in Chicago, he wore basketball shoes for better traction and totaled 206 yards, including 102 yards on two punt returns. He scored touchdowns on a 44-yard run and a 75-yard punt return.

At Georgia, Trippi was a member of the 1946 All-America Team and finished as runner-up in the Heisman Award voting, behind Army’s legendary back Glenn Davis.

Four years earlier – before a stint in the Army – Trippi earned the Rose Bowl’s MVP trophy as Georgia beat UCLA 9-0 to cap an 11-1 season.

The only other member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to celebrate a 100^th birthday was Clarence “Ace” Parker, who did so on May 17, 2012. He lived another 18 months, dying Nov. 6, 2013, at age 101.

Trippi and Parker almost shared another connection – as members of the New York Yankees in the All-America Football Conference.

Parker played the final season of his seven-year pro career with the Yankees, helping the team to a 10-3-1 record and an appearance in the league’s first championship game. They lost to the Cleveland Browns, 14-9.

The Yankees were so sure they had signed Trippi to a contract that they called a news conference in New York. While the New York newsmen gathered, however, NFL owner Charles W. Bidwill Sr. announced in Chicago he had signed Trippi to a four-year contract worth $100,000.

For those days, the size of the contract was stunning news and a big breakthrough in the inter-league war.

Trippi's acquisition completed Bidwill’s quest for what he called his “Dream Backfield” and helped the Cardinals reach back-to-back title game appearances. He concluded his nine-year pro career with 3,506 yards rushing, 1,321 yards receiving and 2,547 yards passing.