Bill Fralic
ill Fralic still makes his living to perform at a high level when things said. “It was fun. We had moving large objects, but around you are not going very well.” a number of characters now they’re 18-wheelers, The Falcons did boast some on our team. Unfortunately, not defensive linemen. offensive talent around Fralic, the we ran into the Redskins Beginning in 1985, the second overall pick in the 1985 NFL in the playoffs. They 6ft-5in, 280lb Fralic starred as an Draft. Gerald Riggs and John Settle were obviously a much offensive lineman for eight seasons each had seasons where they put better team than we with the Atlanta Falcons and one with up 1,000-plus rushing yards, Billy were at that time, but the Detroit Lions, twice being voted “White Shoes” Johnson and it was a good year, a fi rst-team All-Pro. Deion Sanders made kick and all in all.” This August, he celebrated the 25th punt returns look like an Playing under anniversary of Bill Fralic Insurance, an art, and Andre Rison and Glanville was, “like being in Atlanta-area fi rm that provides policies Michael Haynes were a PT Barnum atmosphere,” to long-distance trucking companies. effective, sometimes Fralic said. A few years into his NFL career, Fralic devastating, receivers. He would know, having began working for an insurance However, those players came participated in a Wrestlemania company in the offseason. When that and went throughout, never II event following his second company failed, Fralic launched his overlapping long enough to gel. season. Several NFL players own fi rm – just before the start of the And Fralic never protected (including William Perry, pictured season in which he earned his fourth a top-fl ight quarterback; below) competed in the Battle consecutive Pro Bowl appearance. the closest he got was in Royal. Twenty men entered the “I put my nose to the grindstone. 1991, when a Falcons third stringer ring and were whittled down to one I juggled both,” Fralic said. played two games and was traded – winner as competitors tossed one Handling two pulls simultaneously a fellow by the name of Brett Favre. another over the top rope. One of is something Fralic already was That year’s team, though, fi nished those who Fralic tossed was Jimbo experiencing on the fi eld. While he 10-6 before the eventual Super Bowl- Covert, offensive lineman for the was excelling, his Falcons were not. champion Washington Redskins booted Chicago Bears, and his teammate at Atlanta missed the playoffs in Fralic’s Atlanta from the Divisional round of the the University of Pittsburgh. fi rst six seasons and seven of his playoffs. Still, the accomplishment was As a boy, Fralic enjoyed wrestling, eight years as a Falcon. He reached noteworthy for Fralic, whose Falcons but said he “never really had the the playoffs once more in his last NFL compiled a pre-1991 record of 27-67-1. desire to do that for a living”. season, but that was as a Lion. The playoff team was led by Jerry He did aspire to play pro football, “That really wears on you. It’s a lot Glanville, the eccentric head coach of course, and he reached that goal, easier to go out there and perform known to leave game tickets for the if not the mountaintop that Covert when the team is doing well, but late Elvis Presley. and Perry conquered when the you’ve got to show up and do the “He was always, at practice, making Bears won Super Bowl XX. best you can, regardless of the wisecracks. He was always a character, “I tried every day to give 100 per circumstances,” Fralic said of the but he was more knowledgeable about cent,” Fralic said. “I can’t pinpoint losing years. “It’s a hell of a lot harder football than given credit for,” Fralic anything I regret.” “It’s a lot easier to perform when the team is doing well, but you’ve got to show up and do the best you Words Hillel Kuttler can regardless”
38 LIONS vs FALCONS LIONS vs FALCONS 39