To help in the discussion on the jersey number 2 worn by significant players in Pro Football History we have a special guest, the host of the Sports History Network’s Truly the GOATs and SHN Showcase podcasts, Mr Os Davis! Os Welcome to the Pigpen.
Let’s lay the scope of our project out to the listeners. Now we know we know as hard as we may try we are going to miss a few legends here and there, and if we do here is where you our listeners come in. Please let us know your thoughts by emailing us at PigskinDispatch@gmail.com and we will be sure to look into the player in question and remember them on a future podcast where we will try to pick up some of the pieces we may have missed in the first go round.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame says Players Enshrined That Wore Number 2 are:
- Paddy Driscoll
- Walt Kiesling
- Link Lyman
- Charlie Trippi
Paddy Driscoll - January 11, 1895 - Evanston, Illinois -Northwestern Quarterback Paddy Driscoll was born. In 1916 Driscoll earned All-America honors with the Wildcats. Besides Northwestern, Paddy played for the Great Lakes Naval Station team in 1918 just after World War I was concluded according to the NFF website. Driscoll had an amazing performance in the 1919 Rose Bowl as the Great Lakes team faced the Mare Island Marine Base. Paddy nicknamed "The Wasp", was everywhere on the field and stat sheets for Great Lakes. He caught a touchdown pass, drop-kicked a 30-yard field goal and threw a Touchdown pass to the legendary George Halas. Yes that George Halas that went on to own and coach the Chicago Bears! Great Lakes cruised to a Rose Bowl victory to victory, 17-0. The National Football Foundation placed Paddy Driscoll into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1974. Out of college Paddy signed on in the NFL with the Chicago Cardinals were in 1923 he scored 27 points in one game. He also gained acclaim by successfully kicking a 50 yard drop-kick field goal in the 1924 season. In 1926 his rights were sold to the Chicago Bears to prevent Paddy from going to the rival AFL professional league. He played a total of 11 seasons playing in the NFL and made it onto the All-Pro team six times! The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Paddy Driscoll in 1965.
Walt Kiesling - May 27, 1903- Walt Kiesling was an NFL & Pro Football Hall of Fame Offensive Guard and Tackle who played for the Duluth Eskimos, Pottsville Maroons, Chicago Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Pirates. He spent a total of 36 years in the NFL as a player, coach and an aide. Kiesling spent 7 years as the head coach of the Pirates/Steelers organization in two different stints working for the late Art Rooney in the late 30's and mid 50's. He led the Steelers to their first winning season in 1942 and served as the coach of the war time combined team of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia aptly called the "Steagles".
William Roy “Link” Lyman - November 30, 1898- Table Rock, Nebraska - William Roy ”Link” Lyman the tackle from Nebraska came into this world. Link was a large player in the early 20’s as he stood 6’-2” high and weighed in at 233 pounds. Lyman was a member of three straight NFL Championship teams, the 1922 & 23 Canton Bulldogs and then the 1924 Cleveland Bulldogs team. The Pro Football Hall of Fame then tells us that in 1925 he joined the Chicago Bears barnstorming tour that featured Red Grange. He stayed with the Bears the balance of his career and even won another NFL Championship with them in 1933. Lyman made shifting the D-lineman around a normal standard when others saw the success of the maneuver. All in all in Link’s 16 years of combined college and pro careers he only went through one losing season. Make sure you read above in the football history headlines to learn about Lyman and the Bulldogs 1924 Championship which is featured. Link Lyman entered into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1964.
Charley Trippi - December 14, 1921 - Pittston, Pennsylvania - Charley Trippi the Georgia Bulldogs great halfback was born. The NFF starts out their bio of Charley with the story of the 1943 Rose Bowl game in which Georgia would face powerhouse UCLA. The Bulldogs would be at a slight disadvantage as their stud All-America runner Frank Sinkwich was hurt and not able to play. The substitute for Sinkwich was Trippi and boy did he ever put on a show as he went on to become the game’s MVP by helping the Dogs overcome adversity in defeating the Bruins 9-0. After some great seasons at Georgia which were WWII interrupted, and he served his country, Trippi really set his fabled Bulldog lore in his Senior year. Charley led Georgia t0 a perfect 10-0 regular season, the the amazing halfback won the Sugar Bowl for the Bulldogs when he tossed a touchdown pass to teammate Dan Edwards, sealing off a 20-10 victory over the Tarheels of North Carolina. The National Football Foundation selected Charley Trippi to enter into their College Football Hall of Fame in 1959. Trippi may be the only player to have ever played in four Chicago College All-Star games as a collegian, two with the Bulldogs, two while in the service and a fifth as a professional. The Pro Football Hall of Fame tells an interesting story about Charley after college. It was the AAFC’s New York Yankees who were ready to hold a press conference to announce Charley Trippi as their newest player but at the last minute they found out that Charles Bidwell Senior of the Chicago Cardinals had inked Trippi to a sweet deal. Charley signed a four-season long, $100,000 professional contract with the Chicago Cardinals making him the second highest paid pro player at the time behind only Red Grange. Bidwell was billing it the “Dream Back Field” as Trippi would join Cardinals greats Paul Christman, Pat Harder, Marshall Goldberg and, later, Elmer Angsman but Mr. Bidwell passed away before ever seeing the men play together. The Dream Backfield was as thought and the Cardinals captured the 1947 Championship of the NFL by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 28-21. Trippi put on basketball shoes to gain traction on the Icy Comiskey Park surface to rush for 206 total yards of rushing and returns with 2 scores. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined him in 1968.
Others of note include:
The List of 5 that Os Davis and Darin chose can be found here: The Top 5 NFL players that wore number 2.
The One-Man Show Who Became Football Royalty ‣ Charley Trippi
Charley Trippi wasn't your average running back. He was a human highlight reel, a one-man wrecking crew who redefined the possibilities of the position in the 1940s. His dazzling footwork, electrifying speed, and Houdini-like escapes from tacklers left fans breathless and earned him a place among football's all-time greats.
Trippi's legend began at Georgia, where he became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy in 1942. He led the Bulldogs to a national championship that year, his dazzling spin moves and open-field jukes leaving defenders grasping at air. His impact wasn't just statistical (2,199 rushing yards, 39 touchdowns) but transformative, ushering in a new era of offensive dynamism.
Drafted by the Chicago Cardinals, Trippi continued to weave magic in the pros. He became the first rookie to lead the NFL in rushing and was named Rookie of the Year in 1947. His signature maneuver, the "Trippi Slide," became a highlight-reel staple, leaving tacklers sprawled as he glided past them with effortless grace.
Trippi's career wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. Injuries hampered his later years. But his talent and determination shone through, inspiring generations of young athletes who saw in him a reflection of their own potential.
Today, Charley Trippi's legacy lives on. He's a member of the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame, his Heisman Trophy on display at the Bulldogs' Sanford Stadium. But more than trophies and accolades, Trippi's legacy is the joy he brought to the game, the way he challenged expectations and redefined what it meant to be a running back. He was a showman, a pioneer, and a reminder that sometimes, the greatest athletes are the ones who dance with the impossible.
