2014 Frank Minnifield
Franky Minnifield with the Blanton Collier Award accompanied by Blanton Collier Hansen (grandson of Blanton Collier from Houston), wife Diane Minnifield and Kay Collier McLaughlin (daughter of Blanton Collier from Lexington)
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The 2014 NFLPA, Kentucky Chapter Blanton Collier Award was presented to Franky Minnifield in Louisville, KY on June 20, 2014
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Franky Minnifield is a native of Lexington, Kentucky, who graduated from Henry Clay High School and the University of Louisville. After graduating from Louisville, he played cornerback for the NFL's Cleveland Browns for nine years, from 1984 -93. During this time, Franky made the Pro Bowl 4 years straight, All NFL 3 years and played in 3 AFC championship games. Upon his retirement from professional football, he returned home to Lexington, where he still resides with his wife, Diane, and two children, Chase and Chanel. Franky displays the same tenacious commitment to his business and civic endeavors as he exhibited in his pro football career. In 2006, he received the Volunteers of America "Person of the Year" Award. In 1997, Minnifield Enterprize was selected as Lexington's "Minority Business of the Year". Franky has served on several boards including the YMCA of Central Kentucky, LexTran, Governor's Sports Commission, the Lexington Sports Authority, and currently, Community Trust Bank and the University of Louisville. In addition, Franky is a member of several halls of fame including: Henry Clay High School Hall of Fame, University of Louisville Hall of Fame, Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame, Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame, and the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Frank’s Dawg Pound
Hi, my name is Frank Minnifield. I was born January 1, 1960, in Lexington, Kentucky. I played defensive back for the Cleveland Browns from 1984-93. I attended Henry Clay High School in Lexington, but was considered too small for college football at just 5'9" and 140 pounds. I walked on to the football team at the University of Louisville, and as a junior in 1981, I led the nation in average yards per kickoff return (30.4). After graduation in 1982, I joined the Chicago Blitz (later the Arizona Wranglers) of the USFL, but I had to successfully sue the Wranglers for the right to move to the NFL, where I signed as a free agent with the Browns in 1984. I quickly became a fixture at cornerback for the Cleveland Browns and was named to the Pro Bowl four straight years from 1986-89. I was named to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team as selected by voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but perhaps more importantly to Cleveland fans, my fellow cornerback Hanford Dixon and I originated and named the Dawg Pound cheering section at Cleveland Stadium.
The “Dawg Pound” started during the 1985 Training Camp at Lakeland Community College in Kirkland, Ohio. Hanford and I started the idea of the pound to try to get more pressure on the quarterback. We had the idea of the quarterback being the cat, and the defensive line being the dog. Whenever the defense would get a regular sack or a coverage sack the defensive linemen and linebackers would bark. This attitude carried into the stands at the training camp, where fans started barking along with the players. We then put up the first "Dawg Pound" banner in front of the bleachers before the first preseason game at old Cleveland Stadium. The bleacher section had the cheapest seats in the stadium, and its fans were already known as the most vocal. They adopted their new identity whole-heartedly, wearing dog noses, dog masks, bone-shaped hats and other outlandish costumes.
“Woof” “Woof”
There you have it.
Franky Minnifield