Dave Wohlabaugh
As a football standout at Frontier High School, Dave Wohlabaugh earned first team All-WNY honors (1989) for the Falcons.
The Hamburg native continued his football career at Syracuse University. As a member of the Orange’s offensive line, Wohlabaugh started at guard as a junior, but transitioned to center as a senior, where he started every game of that season. As a senior, he was named second-team All-Big East (1994). He was invited to both the Hula and East-West Shrine All-Star Bowls.
He was selected in the fourth round of the 1995 NFL Draft (112th overall) by the New England Patriots. He was named to the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie team in 1995. He started every game over four years with the Patriots (1995-98), and was a member of the Pats’ AFC Championship in 1997 and appeared in Super Bowl XXXI. Wohlabaugh was selected as the center for the New England Patriots All-1990’s team, which was chosen by a group of writers, broadcasters and team officials.
He signed as a free agent with the expansion Cleveland Browns and played there from 1999 to 2002. He signed with the St. Louis Rams for one season, and retired at the end of the 2003 season because of an injury.
Wohlabaugh participated in the NFL’s gold football celebration to highlight the 50-year anniversary of the Super Bowl. As part of the event, he returned to Frontier High School with the NFL’s gold football. A commemorative football is sent to every high school in the world that’s produced a player or coach who has appeared in a Super Bowl.
