Pitt's Bill Fralic lends local flavor to Croatian American Hall of Fame

The 2024 inductees to the Croatian American Sports Hall of Fame include many names with local connections, including Pitt football great Bill Fralic and his agent, who was an outstanding athlete himself. Plus, a slow-pitch softball star known as King Kong.

The CAS-HOF’s selection committee announced the following area inductees: Ralph Cindrich, Bill Fralic, Tim Grgurich, Jim Laslavic, Frank Sinkwich, Frank Solich, Paul Tomasovich and Ferdinand “Fritzie” Zivic. The induction ceremony is scheduled for Oct. 26 at the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center Hotel. Sports broadcaster Jerome Jurenovich will serve as master of ceremonies.

Here is a look at the local inductees:

Sports agent/wrestler/football player Ralph Cindrich — Avella’s Cindrich was a high school wrestling and football standout who attended Pitt and earned All American status in wrestling (1969) and football (1971). After a five-year NFL career, he became an acclaimed lawyer and sports agent, who represented such NFL stars as Fralic, Herschel Walker and many others.

Pitt football player Bill Fralic — Penn Hills’ Fralic might have been the greatest Pitt offensive linemen of them all. He started as a widely recruited high school star who went to Pitt and was named a consensus All-American his junior and senior seasons. He was a first-round draft choice of the Atlanta Falcons in 1985 and was named All-Pro in 1986 and 1987. He died in 2018.

Basketball coach Tim Grgurich — Lawrenceville’s Grgurich attended Central Catholic High School and played point guard at Pitt from 1961-64 before embarking on a long coaching career. He was a Pitt assistant for 12 years and head coach for five as a prelude to his 36-year career as NBA assistant.

Football playser Jim Laslavic — Etna’s Laslavic was a star linebacker at Penn State and was drafted in the third round of the 1973 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He played for nine years, five with the Lions. During his 36-year sports broadcasting career, he founded the Laslavic Rotary Golf Tournament and other charitable endeavors in San Diego and Coronado, Calif.

Football player Frank Sinkwich — Born in Starjak (Zagreb), Croatia, and raised in Youngstown, Ohio. Sinkwich was a two-time All-American football player and Heisman Trophy winner (1942) at the University of Georgia. In 1941, he led the nation in rushing with 1,103 yards. The following year, while playing on two sprained ankles, he scored Georgia’s only touchdown in 9-0 victory against UCLA in the Rose Bowl. With the Lions, he earned All-Pro honors twice and was the NFL MVP in 1944. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.

Football player/coach Frank Solich — Born in Johnstown and raised in Cleveland, Solich was an all-state football player at Holy Name High School and earned a scholarship to the University of Nebraska. Known as Fearless Frankie, he earned All-Big Eight honors at fullback in 1965 before coaching 13 years at the high school level and 25 at Nebraska. In six years as head coach of the Cornhuskers, he compiled a .753 winning percentage and was the Big 12 Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2002. He also coached at Ohio University. Solich will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this year.

Softball player Paul “King Kong” Tomasovich — Pittsburgh’s Tomasovich was known for his tape-measure home runs in slow-pitch softball while averaging more than 100 RBIs and 40 homers per season and helping his teams reach seven national championship tournaments. He was inducted into the USA Softball Hall of Fame in 1992.

Boxer Ferdinand “Fritzie” Zivic — Pittsburgh’s Zivic followed four older brothers into the boxing ring. On Oct. 4, 1940, he defeated Henry “Hammering Hank” Armstrong at Madison Square Garden to win the Welterweight World Championship. Overall, he won 159 professional fights (81 by knockout). He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992.