Position: Offensive Tackle
Years: 1981-1984
Place of Birth: Pittsburgh, PA
Date of Birth: Oct 31, 1962
Date of Death: Dec 13, 2018
Jersey Number: 79
Height: 6-5
Weight: 285
High School: Pittsburgh, PA (Penn Hills HS)
A four-year starter at offensive tackle for Pittsburgh from 1981-84, Bill Fralic earned First Team All-America status three times from 1982 to 84, including as a unanimous selection the last two years. Fralic became the first offensive lineman to twice finish in the top 10 of the Heisman Trophy balloting, placing sixth in 1984 and eighth in 1983. In both years he was the highest ranking interior lineman.
Fralic's collegiate career led to the phrase "Pancake Block" being added to the football lexicon. Pitt publicists used "Pancakes" as a statistical barometer for each time Fralic put an opposing defensive lineman on his back.
Pitt tallied a 31-14-2 record during his tenure, going 11-1, 9-3, 8-3-1, and 3-7-1. In the Associated Press national poll, Pitt ranked second in 1981, ninth in 1982, and twelfth in 1983. The Panthers played in three straight bowls--the Sugar, Cotton, and Fiesta Bowls. Fralic played one year for Jackie Sherrill in 1981 and three years under Foge Fazio. He was co-captain in 1984. During the 1981 and 1982 seasons, Fralic played on an offense that also featured fellow College Football Hall of Fame inductees Dan Marino at quarterback and Jimbo Covert at offensive tackle.
CBS named him Player of the Game in 1983 after the Notre Dame game. The Sporting News in 1984 had Fralic on the cover of its football preseason issue. Fralic stood 6'5" and weighed in at 285 in his playing days. Fralic's No. 79 jersey was retired by Pitt at halftime of his final home game in 1984, a 21-10 win over Tulane.
The second player taken overall in the 1985 NFL Draft, Fralic went on to an exceptional pro career from 1985-93, playing eight years with the Atlanta Falcons and his final season with the Detroit Lions. He was selected to the Pro Bowl four times and was a two-time All-Pro. Fralic additionally was named to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team.
Fralic was born October 31, 1962 in Western Pennsylvania. He attended Penn Hills High School in Pittsburgh, becoming the first sophomore to letter in football. He also became a WPIAL heavyweight wrestling champion for the Indians, compiling a 98-7 record on the mat. Fralic was a member of the inaugural class of the WPIAL Hall of Fame in 2007. He was also a member of the inaugural Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame class that was enshrined this past September. Fralic's two older brothers, Mike and Joe, also played college football.
After his football days, he established Bill Fralic Insurance, which became a leader in specialized commercial trucking insurance. Fralic also did radio analyst work for the Atlanta Falcons and Pitt football. He formed the Fralic Foundation, which raises funds for youth groups in Pittsburgh. The centerpiece of the foundation is the annual FralicCelebrity Golf Classic.
Fralic passed away Dec. 13, 2018, following a battle with cancer. He was 56.
