Bill Fralic
Encyclopedia
William P. Fralic, Jr. (born October 31, 1962, in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania
) is a former professional American football offensive guard in the NFL.
and Mike Munchak
as a first team offensive lineman.
on a football scholarship. While at Pitt he played offensive tackle and was named a consensus All-American his junior and senior seasons.
, Fralic was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the second overall pick. He became a starter for the Falcons at offensive guard during his rookie season. He went on to be named All-Pro
in 1986 & 1987, and was named to the Pro Bowl
from 1986 to 1989. During this time, the 6'5", 280 lbs. Fralic developed a reputation as a ferocious run blocker.
At the end of his NFL career, he was one of the first players to take advantage of the new free agent system and jumped from the Atlanta Falcons to the Detroit Lions
, almost doubling his pay to $1.6 million for the 1993 season.
at "WrestleMania 2
".
Fralic served as a color commentator
for Falcons radio broadcasts from 1995–97, and currently performs the same role for Pittsburgh Panthers football
broadcasts.
In Atlanta, Fralic runs Bill Fralic Insurance Services, which he began during his playing days with the Falcons.
of Delaware, was said to have found Fralic's testimony "refreshing and believable".
Penn Hills, Pennsylvania
Penn Hills is a large Home Rule Municipality in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population as of the 2010 census was 42,329, making it Pittsburgh's second largest suburb by population.-History:...
) is a former professional American football offensive guard in the NFL.
Early years
Bill Fralic played football at Penn Hills (Pa.) High School. Readers of the Pennsylvania Football News named him to the "All Century" team of Pennsylvania high school football players. He is listed beside Chuck BednarikChuck Bednarik
Charles Philip Bednarik is a former professional American football player, known as one of the most devastating tacklers in the history of football and the last two-way player in the National Football League...
and Mike Munchak
Mike Munchak
Michael Anthony Munchak is the head coach of the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He played college football as a offensive lineman for Penn State University from 1978 to 1981. After his career at Penn State, He was drafted in the first round of the 1982 NFL Draft by the Houston...
as a first team offensive lineman.
College
After high school, Fralic attended the University of PittsburghUniversity of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
on a football scholarship. While at Pitt he played offensive tackle and was named a consensus All-American his junior and senior seasons.
NFL career
In the 1985 NFL Draft1985 NFL Draft
The 1985 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 30 and May 1, 1985...
, Fralic was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the second overall pick. He became a starter for the Falcons at offensive guard during his rookie season. He went on to be named All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
in 1986 & 1987, and was named to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
from 1986 to 1989. During this time, the 6'5", 280 lbs. Fralic developed a reputation as a ferocious run blocker.
At the end of his NFL career, he was one of the first players to take advantage of the new free agent system and jumped from the Atlanta Falcons to the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, almost doubling his pay to $1.6 million for the 1993 season.
Life Outside the NFL
Bill Fralic is well known for wrestling when he competed in the 20-man battle royalBattle royal
Battle royal traditionally refers to a fight involving three or more combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing. In recent times the term has been used in a more general sense to refer to any fight involving large numbers of people that are not organized into factions...
at "WrestleMania 2
WrestleMania 2
WrestleMania 2 was the second annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation...
".
Fralic served as a color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for Falcons radio broadcasts from 1995–97, and currently performs the same role for Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
broadcasts.
In Atlanta, Fralic runs Bill Fralic Insurance Services, which he began during his playing days with the Falcons.
Steroids
During his NFL career, Fralic publicly opposed the use of steroids by NFL players and advocated more rigorous and more random testing to detect steroid use. In May 1989 he testified before the U.S. Senate that steroid use in the NFL was rampant. The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the time, Sen. Joe BidenJoe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
of Delaware, was said to have found Fralic's testimony "refreshing and believable".
External links
- The Pennsylvania Football News All-Century Team Retrieved 2009-05-01.
- 'We Can Clean It Up' Atlanta Falcon Bill Fralic is making it his business to rid the NFL of steroids Retrieved 2009-05-01.
- Perils Of A New Era Retrieved 2009-05-01.
- Fralic not surprised by recent allegations Retrieved 2009-05-01.