Bearly Legal: The Original #20

Lions Hall of Fame Cornerback talks to Robin & David about his years in Detroit, sharing #20 with fellow Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, and his life after football, running a prison ministry.

Bearly Legal: Hall of Famer Charley Trippi

Robin & David relive the glory days of the Chicago Cardinals with Charley Trippi, the only man in the Hall of Fame with 1000 Yards passing, rushing and receiving. Plus, Robin, David & Billy Randazzo look at the Bears schedule & make their predictions for the season.

Charley Trippi

In 1946, Charley Trippi, a two-time All-America from the University of Georgia, was a key figure in the inter-league battling between the new AII-America Football Conference (AAFC) and the National Football League.
The AAFC\'s New York Yankees were so sure they had signed him to a contract that they called a press conference in New York to announce the happy news. But while the New York newsmen gathered, Chicago Cardinals 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 a \"Dream Backfield.\" Although Bidwill did not live to see it, Charley became the game breaker in a talented corps that included Paul Christman, Pat Harder, Marshall Goldberg and, later, Elmer Angsman.
Never was Trippi more magnificent than in the 1947 NFL Championship Game when the Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 28-21. Playing on an icy field in Chicago, Charley 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.
Trippi could and would do anything on a football field. He played as a left halfback for four seasons before switching to quarterback for two years. Charley then moved back to offensive halfback for one campaign before changing almost exclusively to the defensive unit in 1954 and 1955. He also was the Cardinals\' punter and he excelled on the punt and kickoff return teams.
Due to relaxed regulations during the war years, Charley played in five College All-Star classics, two while at Georgia, two while in the service and a fifth as a Cardinal in 1948.

Charley\'s Career Stats

Lem Barney

Although he was a three-time All-Southwestern Conference star who had intercepted 26 passes in three seasons at Jackson State, Lem Barney was a comparative unknown when he joined the National Football League as a second-round draft pick of the Detroit Lions in 1967.

It took only a few games, however, for the 6-0, 188-pound speedster to become widely respected as one of the premier comerbacks in pro football. Barney originally was tested as a wide receiver but his exceptional skills as a defender could not be ignored. After a sensational rookie season, he was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and selected to play in the Pro Bowl, something he would do six more times during his stellar career. Barney also tied for the NFL interception lead with 10. Three of his interceptions were returned for touchdowns, just one short of the then-all-time single-season record.

Barney, a native of Gulfport, Mississippi, also won acclaim as a kick return specialist. Particularly early in his career, he saw duty on both the punt and kickoff return units, as well as playing full-time at comerback. He was highly feared as a big-play threat for good reason. In his 11-year tenure that ended after the 1977 campaign, Barney had a 98-yard kickoff return, a 94-yard field goal return, a 74-yard punt return and a 71-yard interception runback.

His career record includes 56 interceptions for 1,077 yards, 143 punt returns for 1,312 yards and 50 kickoff returns for 1,274 yards. He scored 11 touchdowns on seven interceptions, two punt returns, one kickoff return and one field goal return. He also recovered 11 opponents\' fumbles and doubled as the Lions punter in both 1967 and 1969. Barney was named All-NFL in 1968 and 1969 and All-NFC in 1972 and 1975.

Lem\'s Career Stats