On Wednesday, October 23, 2024 Frank Cosentino, a former Western Mustang originally from Hamilton, Ontario, was a 2024 inductee into the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame for his contributions to sport as an athlete and an academic. 

Football was a sport Cosentino grew up around in his hometown of Hamilton. His athletic career began at Cathedral High School where he played baseball and football. "I was first involved with football when I would go to Eastwood Park and watch older kids playing pick up football on Sundays and play a kicking and throwing contest with a "Driving Back" kicks or throws to gain points", said Cosentino.  

"I tried out for the football team three years as a lineman," said Cosentino. "I made the team after one of the starters got injured. Our high school Coach, Larry Sullivan, saw me in the hall and mentioned that some friends of mine [had] told him that I had a strong arm. Sullivan asked me if I would like to try out for the QB position and take some snaps in the cafeteria before the upcoming spring. I said yes. We went on to win the 1954 championship and came first in 1955 - but lost in the playoffs due to injuries", added Cosentino. 

With his budding football career, Cosentino attracted university football offers from Western and Queen's, as well as offers from universities in the United States to play baseball. "[I chose] Western mostly because I would be close to Hamilton (which would allow me to see my wife to be, Sheila) and John Metras was also paying attention." John Metras was legendary Head Football Coach at Western from 1940-1969 and the namesake of the current J. P. Metras Sports Museum.

"Football was a driving force for me," continued Cosentino. "I was fortunate that I was able to come in contact with the Dean of King's College, and he insisted that I do more academic work, which I really enjoyed, and gave me a new approach to life and university."

He was the Quarterback for the Mustangs from 1957-60, winning the Yates Cup Championship in his first season.  "My favorite things from Western were the classes, the approach of the Business School, and the friends I made in the Business School." Said Cosentino. 

1959 was an especially big year for Cosentino.  "As a Mustang, my favorite memory was our victory in 1959 when we won the Canadian Intercollegiate Championship against UBC, which was also the same year that Sheila and I were married, and the year I was first chosen by Hamilton in the Canadian Football League (CFL) draft."

As a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Cosentino eventually went on to win two CFL Grey Cup Championships in 1963 and 1965. His CFL career spanned from 1960-72, and saw him suit up for three CFL teams: the Tiger-Cats, Edmonton Eskimos and the Toronto Argonauts. 

In 1970 he returned to Western, this time as the Head Coach, Mustangs Football, where he stayed through 1974. Throughout the course of his coaching career with the Mustangs, his Western football teams won nine of the ten playoff games they were in, and won the Vanier Cup National Championship in both 1971 and 1974. 

"Being a coach was wonderful. I tried very hard to be a big brother, or if you will, "a father figure". I didn't want to be a preacher but I did want to be available to listen to them", said Cosentino. 

His major philosophy surrounding his success as a coach was based on listening to his players. "Football is a great game. It teaches that on every occasion, obstacles can be a stumbling block or a stepping stone. Take the high road. [You should] treat players well, be an encourager and be positive to them, while listening to these bright young men. Take them seriously", said Cosentino. 

Building on his successful background in sport, Cosentino turned to writing and is the author of 17 books on the history of sports, the Grey Cup, and some of the teams he has represented. His books include Ted Reeve: The Bard of the Beach, Canadian Football 1995-2014: Home Again; and his latest football book Out of the Blue 2015-2022, is his 5th in a series on Canadian football.

Cosentino was inducted into the Western University Sports Hall of Fame in 1982, the York University Sports Hall of Fame in 2017, the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2018 and is a also member of the Ontario University Athletics Hall of Fame. 

Congratulations to Frank Cosentino on his induction into the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame. A well deserved honour.

News story on inductees: Around the Bay, 4 athletes, 1 builder inducted to Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame