Francis Joseph Tripucka (December 8, 1927 – September 12, 2013) was an American gridiron football quarterback who played professionally for 15 seasons. He spent four seasons in the National Football League (NFL), eight in the Canadian Football League (CFL), and four in the American Football League (AFL). Tripucka is best known as the inaugural quarterback for the AFL's Denver Broncos, whom he was a member of from 1960 to 1963. During Denver's inaugural year, Tripucka became the first NFL / AFL quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards in a season, earning him All-Star honors. He was inducted to the Broncos Ring of Fame in 1986.