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Pete Karpuk

1927 – 1985

Canadian football player

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About Pete Karpuk

Lived 1927 – 1985 (aged 57–58). Pete Karpuk was a Canadian canadian football player.

Pete Karpuk (c. 1927 – March 4, 1985) was a Canadian professional 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. 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. The tactic was afterwards called "a Karpuk" by at least one commentator when it was used again in American football.

He won the Grey Cup with the Rough Riders that year.

Ten years later he was broke and was sentenced to three months in jail after pleading guilty to stealing $110 from a store;

He died of a heart attack in 1985.

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Important facts

Born
1927, Toronto
Birth century
Nationality

People in Pete Karpuk's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Pete Karpuk's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Pete Karpuk?

Canadian football player

When was Pete Karpuk born?

Pete Karpuk was born in 1927 in Toronto.

When did Pete Karpuk die?

Pete Karpuk died on 4 March 1985 in Ontario, Toronto.

What was Pete Karpuk's occupation?

Pete Karpuk was a canadian football player.

What nationality was Pete Karpuk?

Pete Karpuk was Canadian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Pete Karpuk

· Wikidata: Q18167920

· DBpedia: Pete Karpuk

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Pete Karpuk. https://biography.guide/pete-karpuk/

MLA: "Pete Karpuk." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/pete-karpuk/.

Chicago: "Pete Karpuk." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/pete-karpuk/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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