Frank Gnup

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Frank Gnup
Date of birth: (1917-04-05)April 5, 1917
Place of birth: Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
Date of death: September 27, 1976(1976-09-27) (aged 59)
Place of death: Vancouver, British Columbia
Career information
Position(s): Halfback & Quarterback
College: Manhattan College
Organizations
As coach:
1955-73 UBC Thunderbirds
As player:
1946-49
1950
1952		 Hamilton Wildcats
Toronto Argonauts
Brantford Redskins
Career highlights and awards
CFL All-Star: 1946
Awards: 1946 - Imperial Oil Trophy

Frank Theodore Gnup (April 5, 1917 – September 27, 1976) was a former award winning and all-star quarterback, halfback and coach who played Canadian football from 1946 to 1952.

A native of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania who was a star player at Manhattan College,[1] Gnup took the Ontario Rugby Football Union by storm in 1946 as a player-coach, leading his Hamilton Wildcats to the league championship game, was named an all-star, and won the Imperial Oil Trophy as ORFU most valuable player.[2] He played in Hamilton for 3 more seasons,[3][4] but had a falling out,[5] and played the 1950 season with the Toronto Argonauts (6 regular season games.)[6] He finished his playing days in 1952 with the Brantford Redskins of the ORFU.

After his playing days Gnup took up coaching in 1955 with the UBC Thunderbirds.[7] His 18 years at the University of British Columbia are legendary, and in 1999 he was enshrined in the UBC Sports Hall of Fame.[8] He has since been honoured by having the AAA Provincial Championships and the CWUAA Frank Gnup Memorial Trophy as Player of the Year named after him. The ever cigar chomping Gnup died of a heart attack September 27, 1976, aged 59.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Local boy makes good, by Havey Boyle Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 25, 1940
  2. ↑ O.R.F.U. Honors Coach Frank Gnup Edmonton Journal, November 14, 1946
  3. ↑ Hamilton Tiger-Cat Alumni Association: Hamilton Wild Cats (Flying Wild Cats) roster
  4. ↑ Frank Gnup Plans Precision Plays Calgary Herald, October 15, 1947
  5. ↑ Frank Gnup is Suing Hamilton Calgary Herald, May 20, 1950
  6. ↑ 2008 Toronto Argonauts Media Guide
  7. ↑ Frank Gnup New Coach at UBC The Leader-Post, June 30, 1955
  8. ↑ UBC Sports Hall of Fame: Frank Gnup
  9. ↑ http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Genealogy/DisplayGenealogyImage?k=f5ff92c4-901c-4717-a742-b6598b88a9e9
Imperial Oil Trophy - Most Valuable Player in the Ontario Rugby Football Union
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