Boxing trainer Tom Yankello and two former Pittsburgh Steelers are among 11 individuals who’ll be honored this month by the Western Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.
Yankello, who first started training fighters at the Beaver County Boxing Club in 1991, was chosen as the “Inductee of Distinction” for the hall of fame’s 2025 class. Yankello is joined by inductees Dr. James Bradley, Dick Cetrone, Chuck Crummie, Shannon Davis, Bobby Franklin, Tunch Ilkin, Bill Pfeiffer, Colleen Rosensteel and Vinnie Vaccarello.
Retired Steelers running back Merril Hoge was selected as the William Campbell Award recipient for his work with the Chuck Noll Brain Injury Foundation. The foundation receives a $5,000 award.
The class will be honored with an induction ceremony and awards dinner at 6 p.m. April 12 at the Sheraton Hotel at Station Square.
• Yankello, who later founded his World Class Boxing Gym in Ambridge, was also recognized for his charitable work with at-risk youth through his nonprofit organization, Stay Off the Streets, Inc. As an “Inductee of Distinction,” Yankello receives the hall of fame’s Darrell J. Hess Award.
• Bradley was a renowned orthopedic surgeon who worked with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• Ilkin, inducted posthumously, was an offensive lineman for the Steelers from 1980-92 and a two-time Pro Bowl selection.
• Pfeifer, a longtime high school girls soccer coach at Moon, was the first in the WPIAL to reach 500 career wins. He was named the national girls soccer coach of the year in 2022 by the NFHS.
• Crummie was a longtime boys basketball coach and athletic director at Central Catholic. He won 653 games in 39 seasons as the Vikings’ coach.
• Rosensteel, a 1985 Greensburg Central Catholic graduate, was a record-setting thrower in track and field. She later qualified three times for the U.S. Olympic judo team.
• Davis was a WPIAL girls basketball star at the former Sacred Heart High School. The 1989 graduate scored 2,275 career points, was named a Parade All-American three times and won a state title as a senior.
• Cetrone, as boys basketball coach at Sto-Rox, won 280 games, five WPIAL titles and an undefeated state championship in 1982-83.
• Vaccarello, inducted posthumously, was a college football standout at Duquesne from 1985-88 and remains the all-time leading tackler with 440.
• Franklin graduated from Point Park in 1977 as the all-time leading scorer for the men’s basketball team with 2,020 points. The team has retired his jersey number.
• Hoge played fullback in the NFL for eight seasons, including seven with the Steelers from 1987-93.
The Western Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame is named in honor of Robert “Tick” Cloherty.