Santa has landed his sleigh.
Now, the Bulldog Nation is taking to the skies.
The Red and Black are barking their way to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl on
New Year’s Day. On Dec. 14, I lit the
candles on the 1943 Rose Bowl MVP’s cake.
Well, it was really an ice cream sandwich. Charley Trippi’s wife, Peggy, had told me
earlier, “Charley’s favorite dessert is an ice cream sandwich.” So, that’s what I took to the celebration lunch
for whom fabled Alabama coach Bear Bryant once called the best college-football
player—ever.
Seventy-five
years after the University of Georgia’s first appearance in the “Granddaddy of
them all” bowl game, Charley still remembers the four-day train ride to California. The All American and Maxwell Award winner also
recalls playing 59 of the 60 minutes in the 9-0 victory over UCLA. He didn’t want to come off the gridiron. Charley did it all—run, pass, receive, return
kicks and punt. Today, he is the only
NFL Hall of Fame player to achieve 1,000 yards in rushing, passing and
receiving in one season.
The
basement of Charley and Peggy’s Athens riverfront home is a museum stuffed with
memorabilia from his legendary careers in college and professional football and baseball. His long list of MVP honors rivals the count
of his numerous Hall of Fame awards. And
when he walks to the mailbox, he’s likely to find a handful of letters from
fans seeking his autograph.
My
92-year-old father-in-law gives Charley Trippi another accolade. In 1946, Lamar Shirah and his best friend,
Buddy Davis, had driven from Mitchell County to see Charley play in Sanford
Stadium. On the way home, the back-from-WWII
farmers pulled beside a carload of young ladies at a red light in Fort Valley.
Through
rolled-down windows, a conversation ensued.
When Lamar asked whether the ladies would like to join them for a Coke,
Willene Lavender said, “My parents won’t allow me to go with strangers, but you
are welcome to follow us home and meet my parents.” Lamar and Willene celebrated their 70th
anniversary this past Thanksgiving. That
means I owe my friend, Charley, a tribute, too.
Come August, my bride and I will mark our 49th anniversary.
The
Bulldog icon has other Jesup connections—John Donaldson and Len Hauss. John was part of what Coach Wally Butts
called his greatest backfield: Charley Trippi, Dick McPhee, John Rauch and John
Donaldson. Charley was coaching when
future All-Pro Washington Redskins captain Len Hauss arrived at UGA. Charley teases the former Jesup Yellow Jacket
great that he should get some of the credit for Len’s sterling 14-year NFL
career. Charley convinced Coach Butts to
switch “Lenny,” the bruising fullback, to center.
But
back to the upcoming Rose Bowl.
The
day after Charley’s 96th birthday, I sat in the Trippi living room
as Leona Nascimento of Atlanta ABC-affiliate WSB-TV interviewed him. I had supplied Leona with some background and
photos. Several times, Leona looked at
Peggy and shook her head. No matter how the
reporter phrased the question, Leona couldn’t get Charley to do what she
wanted: “Brag on himself.” Peggy kept
repeating, “It’s not going to happen.
That’s not something Charley will do.”
What
Charley did do was talk about other Bulldogs—past and present. But he did single out the Rose Bowl as the highlight
of his college career. Calling it a
chance of a lifetime, he challenged the 2018 Bulldogs to outscore Heisman
winner Baker Mayfield and the Oklahoma Sooners.
And
when that happens, Charley will no doubt celebrate with not just one ice cream
sandwich but probably two.
dnesmith@cninewspapers.com
