Frank Conover to be Honored with Zunic Award
9/17/2015 12:47:00 PM | Football
Defensive lineman recorded 44 tackles in three seasons
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Frank Conover '91 will be presented with the 2015 Zunic Award on Saturday, Sept. 26 when the Syracuse University football team takes on LSU at 12 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.
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Presented by the Syracuse Football Club, the Zunic Award was created in 2001 to honor Mike and Judy Zunic, who died tragically on July 18, 1989 when a United Airlines plane crashed in Sioux City, Iowa. The pilot, anticipating landing difficulties, requested if some strong passengers would volunteer to give up their seats and sit at the exit doors to assist passengers in the event of an emergency. Mike and Judy volunteered to give up their seats in first class and sit at one of the exit doors. Mike and Judy both died in the crash and those in the Zunics' seats survived.
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Mike Zunic was a four-year starter at linebacker and earned a B.A. ('81) and Master's ('82) from Syracuse University in speech communication.
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Conover was a three-time letterwinner (1988-90) while at Syracuse, playing along the defensive line. He recorded 44 tackles in his career, 17 of which were solo stops.
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Following the Tulane contest during his senior season in 1990, Conover's father, Frank Sr., suffered a heart attack and died while riding a shuttle bus from the Carrier Dome to Manley Field House. Just two days after his father's funeral, Conover returned to the field and tallied three tackles, including one for a loss of two yards, in a 31-7 victory against West Virginia.
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Conover finished his senior season with 29 tackles and 1.5 sacks, helping the Orange to a 28-0 victory against Arizona in the 1990 Aloha Bowl. He was drafted in the eighth round of the 1991 NFL Draft by Cleveland and played in four games for the Browns in his rookie season.
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After his playing career, Conover entered the coaching profession, serving as a coach at Monsignor Donovan High School in New Jersey and Skaneateles High School outside Syracuse since 2011. In 2012, Skaneateles advanced to the NYSPHSAA Class C quarterfinals.
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Conover is also actively involved in the community. He volunteers with the Seneca-Cayuga ARC, providing transportation services for those in need. In addition, he has volunteered for the Syracuse Kidney Association.
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Zunic Award Recipients
2001: Mr. and Mrs. Zunic, Frank Maloney, Gene Grabosky '60 (posthumous)
2002: Pat '88 and Kari Kelly, Roberta DeLeone
2003: Jim DaRin '77
2004: Joshua Frase
2005: Jim Rooney
2006: Rockette Pirro Brunetti, Horace Landry
2007: Sylvia Mackey, Chris Ingram '89 (posthumous)
2008: Robin Griffin '72, Carlmon Jones, Ron Page '74
2009: Bill Coghill '72, Norm Mordue '66
2010: Jim Jerome '76
2011: John Lally '82
2012: Tim Byrne '87 (posthumous)
2013: Pat Killorin '66
2014: Dick Beyer '53
2015: Frank Conover '91
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Presented by the Syracuse Football Club, the Zunic Award was created in 2001 to honor Mike and Judy Zunic, who died tragically on July 18, 1989 when a United Airlines plane crashed in Sioux City, Iowa. The pilot, anticipating landing difficulties, requested if some strong passengers would volunteer to give up their seats and sit at the exit doors to assist passengers in the event of an emergency. Mike and Judy volunteered to give up their seats in first class and sit at one of the exit doors. Mike and Judy both died in the crash and those in the Zunics' seats survived.
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Mike Zunic was a four-year starter at linebacker and earned a B.A. ('81) and Master's ('82) from Syracuse University in speech communication.
Â
Conover was a three-time letterwinner (1988-90) while at Syracuse, playing along the defensive line. He recorded 44 tackles in his career, 17 of which were solo stops.
Â
Following the Tulane contest during his senior season in 1990, Conover's father, Frank Sr., suffered a heart attack and died while riding a shuttle bus from the Carrier Dome to Manley Field House. Just two days after his father's funeral, Conover returned to the field and tallied three tackles, including one for a loss of two yards, in a 31-7 victory against West Virginia.
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Conover finished his senior season with 29 tackles and 1.5 sacks, helping the Orange to a 28-0 victory against Arizona in the 1990 Aloha Bowl. He was drafted in the eighth round of the 1991 NFL Draft by Cleveland and played in four games for the Browns in his rookie season.
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After his playing career, Conover entered the coaching profession, serving as a coach at Monsignor Donovan High School in New Jersey and Skaneateles High School outside Syracuse since 2011. In 2012, Skaneateles advanced to the NYSPHSAA Class C quarterfinals.
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Conover is also actively involved in the community. He volunteers with the Seneca-Cayuga ARC, providing transportation services for those in need. In addition, he has volunteered for the Syracuse Kidney Association.
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Zunic Award Recipients
2001: Mr. and Mrs. Zunic, Frank Maloney, Gene Grabosky '60 (posthumous)
2002: Pat '88 and Kari Kelly, Roberta DeLeone
2003: Jim DaRin '77
2004: Joshua Frase
2005: Jim Rooney
2006: Rockette Pirro Brunetti, Horace Landry
2007: Sylvia Mackey, Chris Ingram '89 (posthumous)
2008: Robin Griffin '72, Carlmon Jones, Ron Page '74
2009: Bill Coghill '72, Norm Mordue '66
2010: Jim Jerome '76
2011: John Lally '82
2012: Tim Byrne '87 (posthumous)
2013: Pat Killorin '66
2014: Dick Beyer '53
2015: Frank Conover '91
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