In the early 20th century, the amateur ethos was alive and well on football fields across Canada as hardy young men sought to win glory for their school or town and embody the spirit of sportsmanship on the field. Frank "Pep" Leadlay was just such a man. A great runner and an early exponent of the drop-kick, Leadlay began his football career while at Hamilton's Central Collegiate. He joined the Hamilton Tigers in 1915 and played one season of intermediate football. Interrupted by the First World War, Leadlay's football career resumed in 1919 when he joined the Hamilton Tigers' senior team, which played in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU). In 1921, Leadlay left for Kingston, Ontario, to attend Queen's University. While there, he, along with Harry Batstone, another Canada's Sports Hall of Fame honoured member, led the Golden Gaels football squad on an impressive run. With Leadlay as a captain, Queen's won the Yates Cup as Canada's senior intercollegiate rugby football champions four straight years (1922-25). At a time when universities still contested the Grey Cup, Queen's won three consecutive championships between 1922 and 1924 and at one stretch went undefeated over a remarkable 26 games. Following university, Leadlay returned to Hamilton and re-joined the Tigers, helping to make them one of the IRFU's best squads up to his retirement in 1930. The Tigers won four consecutive IRFU championships between 1927 and 1930. In two of those seasons, the Leadlay-captained Tigers earned the right to play for the Grey Cup against the Western Canada Rugby Football Union champion. Hamilton beat the Regina Roughriders in both 1928 and 1929 to claim the Dominion football championship. For his exploits on the field in leading both Queen's and Hamilton to multiple Grey Cup championships, Leadlay has been inducted into both the Queen's University and Canadian Football Halls of Fame.