An athlete in
the truest sense of the word is one who can take his or her
ability and successfully apply it to various sports. Conk
Abee was such an athlete: he was a three-sport star at
Harding High School (predecessor to Aliquippa High) from
1926 to 1928, winning three letters in football and two in
basketball; he was a shot put, discus, and javelin
performer, as well. Conk starred in football at Bellefonte
Academy, both as a ball carrier and a defensive back and
continued his career at New York University. In 1931, Conk
was chosen second team All American by the All American
Board of Football, and he went on to be an great collegiate
player the following two seasons and was honored as the
Outstanding Athlete of the Year at the 1934 NYU graduation
ceremonies. Conk then played semipro football with the
Patterson (NJ) Panthers before moving on to play for the New
York Yankees of the American Professional League in 1936 and
1937, a team owned by entertainer Kate Smith and with
teammates that included the great All American Ken Strong.
Conk then returned to his native Aliquippa, where he worked
for Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation for 37 years as a
foreman before he died in 1984.
An athlete in
the truest sense of the word is one who can take his or her
ability and successfully apply it to various sports. Conk
Abee was such an athlete: he was a three-sport star at
Harding High School (predecessor to Aliquippa High) from
1926 to 1928, winning three letters in football and two in
basketball; he was a shot put, discus, and javelin
performer, as well. Conk starred in football at Bellefonte
Academy, both as a ball carrier and a defensive back and
continued his career at New York University. In 1931, Conk
was chosen second team All American by the All American
Board of Football, and he went on to be an great collegiate
player the following two seasons and was honored as the
Outstanding Athlete of the Year at the 1934 NYU graduation
ceremonies. Conk then played semipro football with the
Patterson (NJ) Panthers before moving on to play for the New
York Yankees of the American Professional League in 1936 and
1937, a team owned by entertainer Kate Smith and with
teammates that included the great All American Ken Strong.
Conk then returned to his native Aliquippa, where he worked
for Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation for 37 years as a
foreman before he died in 1984.