| Born: | c. 1927 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
|---|---|
| Died: | March 4, 1985 (aged 58) Toronto, Ontario |
| Career information | |
| CFL status | National |
| Position(s) | HB/E |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1948–1953, 1955 | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| 1954 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| 1956–1957 | Montreal Alouettes |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Pete Karpuk (c. 1927 – March 4, 1985) was a Canadian football player who played for the Ottawa Rough Riders, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Montreal Alouettes.
In the last game of the 1951 Big Four regular season, Ulysses Curtis of the Toronto Argonauts had intercepted the ball and had a clear run for a touchdown when Karpuk rushed off the Ottawa Rough Riders bench to tackle him at the Ottawa 24-yard line.[1] After a 15-minute delay, the referee ruled that Toronto could not be awarded a touchdown or a new play at the 1-yard line, but would have to take their next play from the 12-yard line with a man advantage—a rule that Karpuk knew because he had discussed it in the past.[2] The tactic was afterwards called "a Karpuk" by at least one commentator when it was used again in American football.[3]
He won the Grey Cup with the Rough Riders that year.[4]
Ten years later he was broke and was sentenced to three months in jail after pleading guilty to stealing $110 from a store;[3] but the conviction was quashed on appeal.[5]
He died of a heart attack in 1985.[6]