Francis Joseph Tripucka was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for 15 seasons in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, and American Football League.
20 Facts About Frank Tripucka
2.
Frank Tripucka is best known as the inaugural quarterback for the AFL's Denver Broncos, whom he was a member of from 1960 to 1963.
3.
Frank Tripucka was inducted to the Broncos Ring of Fame in 1986.
4.
Frank Tripucka spent four seasons in the NFL, eight in the CFL, and four in the AFL.
5.
Frank Tripucka played in the college All-Star Game that year.
6.
Frank Tripucka went on to become a first-round selection by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1949 NFL Draft, but was traded during the preseason to the Detroit Lions.
7.
Frank Tripucka had four starts his rookie season, compiling a mediocre 9 touchdowns to 14 interceptions; he was used as a punter 28 times.
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Frank Filchock 8.
The Dallas Texans folded after one season, so Frank Tripucka accepted a large contract for the time with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.
9.
Frank Tripucka joined the Saskatchewan Roughriders and their new coach Frank Filchock as the starting quarterback in 1953.
10.
Frank Tripucka played there through 1958, when he was traded to the Ottawa Rough Riders but struggled and was released.
11.
Frank Tripucka was back in Saskatchewan before the end of the 1959 season as a coach.
12.
Frank Tripucka started all 14 games in Denver's inaugural 1960 season, and though he led the league in interceptions in 1960 with 34, he led the league with 248 of 478 passes for 3,038 yards, to go with 24 touchdowns, including the first TD pass in AFL history.
13.
Frank Tripucka started 11 games in 1961, throwing for 1,690 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions.
14.
Frank Tripucka returned to Saskatchewan in his final season to be the back up to Ron Lancaster and finished the season with 38 completions for 435 yards.
15.
In 1986, Frank Tripucka was one of three players to be inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame.
16.
Frank Tripucka is the father of former Notre Dame and Detroit Pistons basketball star Kelly Frank Tripucka, who played for the Utah Jazz and the Charlotte Hornets.
17.
Frank Tripucka played one season under his brother Tracy, who took over as the Fordham head coach.
18.
Frank Tripucka played for the XFL LA Wildcats in 2020.
19.
Frank Tripucka died of congestive heart failure on September 12,2013, at his home in Woodland Park, New Jersey, aged 85.
20.
In 1997, Frank Tripucka was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.