William P. Fralic, Jr. (born October 31, 1962) is a former American college and professional football player who was an offensive guard in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. He played college football for the University of Pittsburgh, and thereafter played professionally for the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions of the NFL.
[edit] Early years
Fralic was born in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania. He played football at Penn Hills 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 Bednarik and Mike Munchak as a first team offensive lineman.
[edit] College
After high school, Fralic attended the University of Pittsburgh on a football scholarship. While at Pitt he played offensive tackle and was named a consensus All-American his junior and senior seasons.
[edit] NFL career
In the 1985 NFL Draft, 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.
[edit] Life Outside the NFL
Bill Fralic is well known for wrestling when he competed in the 20-man battle royal 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.
[edit] 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 Biden of Delaware, was said to have found Fralic's testimony "refreshing and believable".
[edit] External links
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| Name |
Fralic, Bill |
| Alternative names |
Fralic, William P., Jr. |
| Short description |
All-American college football player, professional football player, offensive lineman, College Football Hall of Fame member |
| Date of birth |
October 31, 1962 |
| Place of birth |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Date of death |
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