National Football Foundation

A three-year starter at tight end for Ohio State under College Football Hall of Fame head coach Earle Bruce, John Frank helped the Buckeyes to a 27-9 record, a Big Ten title and victories in the 1981 Liberty Bowl, 1982 Holiday Bowl and the 1984 Fiesta Bowl. The team leader in receptions in 1983, he holds school record for career receptions (121) and receiving yards (1,481) among tight ends. A two-time All-Big Ten selection, Frank ranks third in career touchdowns (9) and single-game receptions (10) among tight ends. In a 24-21 loss to rival Michigan, he caught 10 passes for 123 yards, ranking fourth-most in program history among tight ends. The co-captain and MVP of the 1983 Buckeyes, he earned the school’s Scholar-Athlete award three consecutive years. A two-time Academic All-America and Academic All-Big Ten selection, Frank compiled a 3.82 GPA as a pre-med student and co-authored a research paper for publication.

Frank was selected in the second round (56^th overall) of the 1984 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers and won two Super Bowls (XIX and XXIII) with the 49ers. In Super Bowl XXIII, he caught two passes including a crucial pass during the game-winning drive in a 20-16 win over the Bengals. During his five-year career, he caught 65 passes for 662 yards and 10 touchdowns, serving as the starting tight end during his last two seasons. Frank stepped away from the NFL to pursue his M.D. at Ohio State and is currently an assistant clinical professor of clinical otolaryngology at The Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He also founded The Anapelli Hair Clinic in New York City in 2006. Frank was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998 and the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.