Professional Football Player. For fifteen seasons (1949 to 1963), he played at the quarterback position in the National, Canadian and American Football Leagues with the Detroit Lions, Chicago Cardinals, Dallas Texans, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Ottawa Rough Riders and Denver Broncos. He may perhaps be best remembered for having the distinction of being the first starting quarterback in Denver Broncos' history. Born Francis Joseph Tripucka, his initial mark on the gridiron was felt during his high school years. He brought attention to the passing facet of the game, as he propelled his high school team to a state championship title in 1944. He played collegiate football at the University of Notre Dame and while serving as a backup to Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Lujack, he experienced two Fighting Irish National Championships (1946 and 1947). He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles during the 1st-round (9th overall pick) of the 1949 NFL Draft. Tripucka's impact in professional sport was not immediate and it would not be until his body of work in the CFL, which gained him notice. While with Saskatchewan, he produced massive passing yards which included five consecutive seasons of 2,000+ yards (1958 to 1958). He achieved All-Star status in 1954. In 1960, he joined the newly-formed American Football League and became starting quarterback with the Denver Broncos franchise. During his time there, he led the league twice in passing yardage (1960 and 1962) including his topping of the 3,000 yard mark in 1960. In 1962, he earned All-Pro honors. After retiring from football, he was the proprietor of a Miller Beer distributorship. He was named to the Denver Broncos' Ring of Honor. His uniform number 18 was retired by the Broncos, however in 2012 it was reinstated when Peyton Manning signed to play for Denver. Tripucka died for complications from Alzheimer's disease. His son Kelly Tripucka was a longtime player in the National Basketball Association.