North Allegheny’s Lincoln Hoke wins Bill Fralic Award as WPIAL’s top lineman

By: Antonio Rossetti
Saturday, December 6, 2025 | 4:36 PM

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North Allegheny’s Lincoln Hoke was selected as the recipient of the seventh annual Bill Fralic Memorial Award, given each year to the top two-way lineman in the WPIAL.

Hoke, a Pitt commit and the son of former Steelers defensive lineman Chris Hoke, credited his faith and his family for his success.

“We’re nothing without our Lord and savior Jesus Christ and our heavenly father,” Hoke said. “I’m super blessed, and I just can’t believe the ways that I’ve been blessed in my life.”

Hoke (Class 6A), Roberson Louis-Jeune of Gateway (5A), Jayden Shaffer of New Castle (4A), Dylan Pitzer of Derry (3A), Connor Bogdanski of Apollo-Ridge (2A) and Avaughn Pompey of Clairton (A) were nominated.

“They’re all a bunch of studs,” Hoke said. “If they’re sitting in these chairs, they are deserving of the award, too. They’re great guys and great players. It’s an honor for them, too, and what a great thing we have being a part of this.”

The award is named after former Pitt lineman Bill Fralic, who is known as the originator of the “pancake block.” Fralic died of cancer in 2018.

Fralic, who was 6-foot-5, 270 pounds as a senior in high school, was named national high school player of the year in 1980.

Fralic’s accolades are endless, including three first-team All-American honors and a sixth-place finish in the Heisman Trophy voting. After starting 39 consecutive games at Pitt from 1981-84, he played nine seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Atlanta Falcons, and was a four-time Pro Bowler and member of the 1980s all-decade team.

The nominees had to be a tough, physical interior linemen who dominated opponents on both sides of the ball. They also had to possess high character and be a team and school leader, coachable and a great teammate. They also must work extremely hard and display a desire to win every snap, all traits Fralic possessed.

“We are going to recognize a young man who embodies these qualities,” Fralic’s wife, Susan, said Saturday at the award ceremony, a pancake breakfast at Longue Vue Club in Verona. “Thank you for carrying forward a legacy that means so much to me. You make this honor truly meaningful.”

Fralic, who went to Penn Hills, was praised for his accomplishments off the field.

“Penn Hills got Bill and Aaron Donald. These guys give back to their community,” said Pitt legend Sam Clancy, the ceremony’s guest speaker. “I think that’s so important as an athlete and as a role model. You have to reap your accolades for what you have done, but you cannot forget where you’ve come from.”

Clancy told a story about how he asked Fralic, who was standing with Jimbo Covert, why he wasn’t on the field for practice at Pitt. It was because Fralic was still in high school and was on campus for a visit.

Clancy rattled off the qualifications for the award and said everyone nominated was a winner.

“This was all Bill Fralic. This is what he was, and this was what he did when he was here,” Clancy said.

Hoke said he is grateful for everyone who has helped him.

“I want to thank coach (Art) Walker, my head coach,” Hoke said. “I’ve played for him for four years now and my D-line coach, coach (Bill) Burns over there. We work every day, and we work hard at North Allegheny.

“I’m thankful for my dad, because we spent countless hours together, me and him, and I learned everything from my dad. I wouldn’t be where I am without him. “Finally, I just want to thank my mom. She passed away in January. Everything I do is for my mom. I love you, mama.”

Susan Fralic thanked everyone who supports the Bill Fralic Foundation.

“I’m so honored that this happens every year, and I’m grateful to everyone who makes this happen,” she said. “My family, the coaches, the foundation, Bill’s closest friends, are all in this room, and they welcome me in their life, so I’m very lucky. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Dan Miller, the head of the board of trustees of the Bill Fralic Foundation, said he is honored to help host the event.

“On behalf of all of us, we extend our love and our thanks to Susan Fralic for allowing us to continue forging on with our mission,” he said. “Thank you, Susan.”