The Thunder's Tim Frost to give opponents a chill

Mahoning Valley will takeon the Tri-Cities Fever in its opener Saturday night.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Tim Frost will go practically anywhere to play football and extend his playing career, but now the Ursuline High graduate is fortunate that he can enjoy that pursuit right in his home town, and help the city at the same time.
"My main objective is to play football. I love the game, just flat out love it," said the versatile Frost, who is playing four positions for the Mahoning Valley Thunder of the af2 league in its first season -- the seventh team that Frost is playing for during his varied and much-traveled career.
"And also just to help the Valley. This is big for the community. A lot of people are looking forward to help move the city ahead, so I am playing my part in pushing the city ahead."
Frost (6-3, 280), who plays tight end and fullback on offense and end and nose tackle on defense, is looking to contribute wherever he can when the Thunder launches its franchise Saturday at the Chevrolet Centre against the Tri-Cities Fever at 7:05 p.m.
"[The Thunder wants] to take advantage of my versatility and my athleticism," said Frost, a traveling man when it come to football, who has played for East and Ursuline highs, West Virginia and Youngstown State universities, Geneva College and the Albany Conquest of the Arena Football League.
Comes from football family
Frost, a senior at YSU who is planning to graduate in May, comes from a long line of football players and is looking forward to perpetuating the family football tradition.
His father, Gary Frost, played for Mount Union College, while a younger brother, Jonathan Frost, who attended Ursuline, now is a junior at Ashland College and will be a starting senior nose tackle this coming season.
Jonathan played for Ursuline as a freshman and sophomore, then transferred to South Forsyth High in Cumming, Ga., where he played as a junior and senior.
Tim has another brother, Kevin Bennett, who played defensive back for Rayen.
And Tim's uncle, Hugh Frost, played for Rayen and Bluffton College, and Hugh's son, Hugh Frost Jr., played for East and Adrian College.
Another major success in the family is Tim's uncle, the late Dr. Neil Frost, who was a YSU graduate who received his medical degree from the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine.
Competition drives him
Besides Tim Frost's love for football, versatility and family tradition, he also is motivated by competition which drives him to excel when he is on the field.
"My main strength is that I am very energetic. I really get into the game in the front line," said Frost, who played three years at WVU as a linebacker and tight end, his last season being in 2001.
"I'm a competitor. That is my best contribution. I plan on being the most competitive player and help to put some points on the board."
To do that, he expects to block and tackle -- hard.
"I will be a big supporter on the front line with a big rush on the quarterback and on offense to open up some holes," said Frost, who after leaving WVU enrolled at YSU and began to play in the 2003 season, but got hurt in the second game and was sidelined the rest of the season.
But still hungry for football and looking for more worlds to conquer, Frost went to Geneva College and played one season because of NAIA rules.
On to the pros
Then after leaving Geneva, he turned to the pro world and attended a couple of NFL combines before finally getting an opportunity to play one year of arena football for the Albany Conquest -- an experience which will give him an advantage with the Thunder.
And when his playing days end, Frost has his sights set on a coaching career, which already has begun. He has served as an assistant coach at Ursuline for the last three years.
After he graduates from YSU, he is hoping to become a graduate assistant at some college next season while working on his master's degree before going full-scale into coaching.
Frost and football are synonymous.
Like he has said, "I love the game, just flat out love it."
kovach@vindy.com