Dennis Franklin facts for kids
Franklin laterals to Chuck Heater, 1973
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| No. 9, 89 | |||||
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| Position: | Quarterback, wide receiver | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | August 24, 1953 Massillon, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Massillon Washington | ||||
| College: | Michigan | ||||
| NFL Draft: | 1975 / Round: 6 / Pick: 144 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||
Dennis E. Franklin was born on August 24, 1953. He is a former American football player. He played as a wide receiver for the Detroit Lions in the National Football League (NFL). The Lions chose him in the 1975 NFL draft. Before playing in the NFL, he was a quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines college team. He played for them from 1971 to 1974. He was their main starting quarterback from 1972 to 1974. Franklin became well-known as Michigan's first black quarterback.
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High School Football Star
Before going to the University of Michigan, Dennis Franklin was a very talented quarterback. He played for the Massillon High School Tigers football team in 1970. With Franklin leading the team, the Massillon Tigers scored many points. They outscored their opponents 412 to 29 in one season. The team also ran for almost 3,000 yards. Franklin himself ran for 363 yards. He also threw for 699 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The Massillon team had many players who later played in college. These included Steve Luke, Larry Harper, Mike Mauger, and Willie Spencer. Franklin's older brothers, Walter and Ed, had also won state championships with Massillon. In July 2007, Franklin was honored. He was added to the Stark County High School Football Hall of Fame.
College Career at Michigan
After high school, Franklin played for the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1972 to 1974. He wore jersey number 9. He became known as "Michigan's first black quarterback" in the news. Franklin said this tag became "annoying" but eventually went away.
Franklin played for Michigan under Coach Bo Schembechler. He was the starting quarterback from 1972 to 1974. With Franklin as quarterback, Michigan shared the Big Ten Conference title three times. This was from 1972 to 1974, tying with Ohio State each year. During his time, Michigan had an amazing record of 30 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie.
Franklin was a First-team All-Big Ten quarterback in 1973. He led the team in passing and total offense every year from 1972 to 1974. He was only the second Michigan player to do this for three years in a row. The first was Tom Harmon.
In 1974, Franklin was chosen as the team captain. He also received an Honorable Mention All-American award. He finished sixth in the voting for the 1974 Heisman Trophy. This award goes to the most outstanding player in college football. Franklin also won the 1974 Meyer Morton award. This award is for the player who shows the most improvement. In 1972, he won the John Maulbetsch Award. This award is for a freshman player who shows great desire and leadership.
The Famous 1973 Game
Franklin is well-remembered for his part in the classic 1973 Michigan vs. Ohio State football game. When Michigan and Ohio State played, both teams were undefeated. Ohio State was ranked No. 1, and Michigan was No. 4. Michigan had outscored its opponents 320 to 58. Ohio State had outscored theirs 361 to 33.
The game was a tough fight and ended in a 10–10 tie. Ohio State had played in the Rose Bowl the year before. Normally, this would mean Michigan would go to the Rose Bowl after a tie. However, the Big Ten athletic directors chose Ohio State. There were a few reasons given for this decision. One reason was that Franklin broke his collarbone during the game. Another was that Michigan did not win on their home field. Also, Ohio State was ranked higher before the game.
College Statistics Summary
During his college career, Dennis Franklin was a strong player.
- As a passer, he completed 153 passes for 2,285 yards and 18 touchdowns.
- As a runner, he gained 1,212 net yards and scored 16 touchdowns.
Professional Football and Beyond
The Detroit Lions picked Dennis Franklin in the sixth round of the 1975 NFL draft. He changed his position to wide receiver for the 1975 NFL season. While with the Lions, Greg Landry and Bill Munson were the team's quarterbacks. Franklin's NFL career was short. He played in nine games over two years and caught six passes.
After he stopped playing football, Franklin had a successful career in television. He became a vice president at King World Productions in New York City. This company distributed popular TV shows like Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, and Oprah. Today, he lives in Santa Monica, California, and works in real estate.
Franklin's son, Kenny, also went to Michigan. Kenny has pursued acting and appeared in movies like Cosmopolitan and S.W.A.T..
See also
- Michigan Wolverines football statistical leaders
