Sullivan Anthony "Tripp" Welborne (born November 20, 1968) is a former professional American football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 defensive back

Defensive back

In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...

 who played safety for one season for the Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...

 of the NFL. He currently works as Athletic Director at Shorecrest Preparatory School

Shorecrest Preparatory School

Founded in 1923, Shorecrest Preparatory School is the oldest independent day school in the state of Florida. A K-12 institution, it serves St. Petersburg as well as the greater Tampa Bay area. Shorecrest hosts the Chargers, the school's teams, for all sports....

 in St. Petersburg, Florida

St. Petersburg, Florida

St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...

.

Playing defense for the University of Michigan

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

 Wolverines, he was a hard-hitting back who also handled punt returns. The Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...

, NC

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

, native was a two-time consensus All-American (1989

1989 College Football All-America Team

The 1989 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...

, 1990

1990 College Football All-America Team

The 1990 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, Scripps-Howard, The...

) selection. Welborne recorded 238 tackles in his three years in the defensive secondary and returned 67 punts for 773 yards. During his senior year (1990), Welborne set a single-season record for punt return yardage with 455. Welborne moved from wide receiver to defensive back after his freshman year and intercepted nine passes during his career. He played on three Big Ten Conference

Big Ten Conference

The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...

 championship teams (1988–90), and the Wolverines compiled a record of 36-11-1, with three top ten finishes during his career at Michigan. Welborne was also named All-Big Ten Conference in 1989 and 1990.

Welborne was selected by the Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...

 in the seventh round (180th pick) of the 1991 NFL Draft

1991 NFL Draft

The 1991 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 21–22, 1991 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan, New York...

, ahead of notable players such as Shawn Jefferson

Shawn Jefferson

Shawn Jefferson , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Houston Oilers in the 9th round of the 1991 NFL Draft...

 and Keenan McCardell

Keenan McCardell

Keenan Wayne McCardell is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League and current wide receivers coach for the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Redskins in the 12th round of the 1991 NFL Draft...

. Welborne appeared in two games for the Vikings during the 1992 season

1992 Minnesota Vikings season

1992 was the 32nd year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 73rd regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of eleven wins and five losses.-Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-References:...

, his only season in the NFL.