Abstract
Size got him noticed first. In 1974, Bill Fralic’s dad asked legendary youth football coach Joe Natoli if he would consider adding Fralic’s 11-year-old son to his Morningside Bulldogs team. Natoli, who had built one of the most successful pre-high school football programs in the country, said no, fearing an 11-year-old could never compete with the 13- and 14-year-olds who made up the team. Then he saw Bill, who already stood five feet, nine inches tall, and quickly changed his mind. Fralic earned a spot starting as an offensive tackle for the Bulldogs, blossoming under Natoli’s tutelage and the rigorous training and stellar coaching that defined the program.
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