Eastlake, OH – The Croatian American Sports Hall of Fame Committee (CAS-HOF), organized by the National Federation of Croatian Americans Cultural Foundation (NFCACF), celebrated its third induction ceremony and banquet at the Hrvatski Dom (the Croatian Home) at Eastlake, Ohio on Saturday, October 24, 2026.
Ths CAS-HOF banquet honored the induction of eight Croatian American athletes including the headliner Stipe Miocic, the greatest UFC Heavyweight World Champion. Stipe was joined with fellow athletes to receive their awards: Meri Abbado (Master Olympian Bodybuilding), Fred Arbanas (NFL Football), Gary Beban (Football-Heisman Winner), Bobby Grich (MLB Baseball, Six-Time All Star), Jack Marin (NBA All-Star), Rob Ninkovich (Two-Time Super Bowl Champion), and Johnny Pesky (MLB Baseball Red Sox icon).
The festive gathering brought together four national Croatian American Presidents: Steve Rukavina of the National Federation of Croatian American Cultural Foundation (NFCACF), Ed Pazo of the Croatian Fraternal Union (CFU), Nikola Metes of the Association of Croatian American Professionals (ACAP): and John Kraljić of the Croatian Academy of America (CAA). The inductees were joined by family members, special guests and friends, while Pjer Šimunović, Croatian Ambassador to the U.S., attended and spent quality time with all the celebrated honorees.
Former NBA All-Star and sports analyst Shaquille O’Neil (“Shaq”) appeared on a heartwarming and humorous video call about his personal connection with Croatia and playfully referring to himself by the Croatian-inspired name “Šekil Onilovich.”
The CAS-HOF Committee along with local NFCACF and CFU volunteers helped organize the most “high-tech” and first-class induction ceremony in the history of its founding in 2022. Bill Cumbelich produced and edited the electrifying promotional video and all the individual videos that so wonderfully introduced each inductee.
The banquet and induction ceremony was hosted by legendary sports commentator and eight Emmy award winner, Jerome Jurenovich. The newly inductees received their awards and delivered speeches that reflected their sports careers, passion for the sport, and their love of the Croatian heritage and values.
Stipe Miocic expressed deep gratitude to his parents for their unwavering support in helping him become a champion and his wife’s devotion as another key factor to his success. He also spoke repeatedly about how his Croatian heritage and persistence motivated him with the ultimate determination to never give up.
Rob Ninkovich, Jack Marin, and Bobby Grich all shared so many fascinating details about the highlights from their careers in the NFL, NBA and MLB. It is amazing what these three athletes accomplished in the professional ranks at the highest levels of competition.
Meri Abbado shared a personal story about her childhood in growing up in her hometown in Split and her incredible career as a female bodybuilder at the age of 46.
“It’s not too late to start later in life,” Abbado emphasized.
Gary Beban, the 1967 Heisman Trophy winner, was the only honoree who was not present in person but accepted his award through a recorded video call and thanked the CAS-HOF for inducting him into the Hall of Fame. Two inductees were honored posthumously: Joe Castiglione represented on behalf of Johnny Pesky and then the grandson of Fred Arbanas.
Jake Arbanas accepted the family’s award on behalf of his grandfather Fred, and spoke about his remarkable talent, toughness, and determination. He noted that Fred played during the last six years of his career despite being legally blind in one eye. Tight End Fred Arbanas was the cornerstone of the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense for nine years, appeared in two Super Bowls, and earned numerous NFL and AFL All-League and All-Star honors.
Croatians Online and Dan Hanson from Cleveland People provided media coverage of the event and also interviewed most all the inductees. Croatian culture came alive throughout the evening at the Hrvatski Dom ballroom through live musical performances by singer Tommi Mischell and guitarist Zvonimir Antolos, who delighted the guests during dinner and after the induction ceremony. The performers sang classic Croatian songs like Kraljice Hrvata (Queen of the Croats) and Galeb i Ja (The Seagull and I).
The Croatian American Sports Hall of Fame (CAS-HOF) was officially established on October 1, 2019, by the NFCACF. Its mission is to recognize Croatian Americans who have achieved national notoriety for their achievements in sports in the United States and Canada. The selection categories are athlete, coach, referee, broadcaster, sports management, and overall contributor to the world of sports. Any nominations for noteworthy Croatian American athletics and contributors can be emailed to [email protected]. Visit https://croatianamericansports.com/ for more information about the current and previous inductee classes or interested in donating to the CAS-HOF initiative.
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