Year Inducted: 2003
Nominated By: Denton Stilson
Sports Competed In: Basketball, Boxing Football, Track
Athlete, Coach or Contributor: Athlete, Coach
High School:
Attended Pueblo Centennial H.S., graduating in 1945...Was a member of the Bulldogs football team for three years (1942-45) and the basketball and track teams for one season (1945)...Scored the lone touchdown on a guard around in a 33-6 loss in the state playoff game with Ft. Collins in 1945.
College:
Went to Pueblo Junior College for two years (1946-47)... Played basketball (Guard).
Military:
Joined the Marine Corps for two years (1947-48)... As a member of the Marines All-Corps track team, placed third in the 440 yards.
Boxing Career:
Golden Gloves (GG) Boxer for 12 years...GG light heavyweight champion in San Francisco (1947) and Runner-up in New York state (1950-51)...Boxed out of the Steel City YMCA (1948-49) and fought on the same card at the Polo Grounds. Preliminary to the Ezzard Charles and Rocky Marciano Fight as an amateur - fought on preliminary to Floyd Patterson & Hurricane Jackson at Madison Square Garden... Record in 19 fights: 9-9-1.
Coaching Career:
Started his coaching career as an assistant in the football program, the head coach of both the boxing and track teams for three years (1955-57) at Pueblo Catholic H.S...Spent the next two seasons (1957-58) as the head football coach at St. Mary's H.S., before being hired on as an assistant football and track coach at Colorado College where he worked for 32 years (1959-91).
Achievements:
Led Pueblo Catholic High to the State Championship in 1957... He coached four players to All-American status while an assistant football coach and one in track, Chuck Puga (Shot Put) at Colorado College...Most proud of two things: Scoring the only touchdown for Centennial in state championship football game against Fort Collins and recruiting Pueblo kids to Colorado College.
Quote:
"Frank was an authentic original he was a coach you trusted instinctively, whose ever word you believed, for whose reputation you would fight and whose friend you longed to be."
-- from Pueblo Chieftain dated 3/01/2010, quoted Steve Sabo (President of NFL Films).
Occupation:
Spent 32 years as assistant football coach under Jerry Carle at Colorado College.
Personal:
Lived in Colorado Springs...Passed away on February 23, 2010.
