Dennis Franklin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dennis Franklin

Franklin laterals to Chuck Heater, 1973
No. 9, 89
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1953-08-24) August 24, 1953 (age 71) Massillon, Ohio, U.S.
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
Detroit Lions (1975–1976)
Career highlights and awards
First-team All-Big Ten (1973) 2× Second-team All-Big Ten (1972, 1974)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 6 Receiving yards: 125
Player stats at PFR

Dennis E. Franklin (born August 24, 1953) is a former professional 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 joining the NFL, Franklin played college football as a quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines. He played for them from 1971 to 1974. He was their main starting quarterback from 1972 to 1974. Franklin first became known for his skills at Massillon High School in Ohio. He is also famous for being Michigan's first black quarterback.

High School Football Star

Before going to the University of Michigan, Dennis Franklin was a standout quarterback. He led the Massillon High School Tigers football team in 1970. With Franklin as quarterback, the Tigers had an amazing season. They scored 412 points while only letting opponents score 29 points.

The team also ran for almost 3,000 yards in one season. Franklin himself ran for 363 yards. He also threw for 699 yards and 13 touchdowns. Many players on his team went on to play NCAA Division I college football. In July 2007, Franklin was honored by being added to the Stark County High School Football Hall of Fame.

College Football Career

Dennis Franklin played for the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1972 to 1974. He wore jersey number 9. During this time, he became known as "Michigan's first black quarterback" in the news. Franklin later said this label became "annoying" but eventually went away. He just wanted to be known for his playing.

Franklin played under famous coach Bo Schembechler. He was the starting quarterback from 1972 to 1974. With Franklin leading the team, Michigan shared the Big Ten Conference title three years in a row (1972-1974). Their record during this time was 30 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie.

In 1974, Franklin was named a First-team All-Big Ten quarterback. He led the team in passing and total offense every year from 1972 to 1974. This was a rare achievement, only done by one other Michigan player before him.

Franklin was also chosen as the team captain in 1974. He was considered an Honorable Mention All-American. He even finished sixth in the voting for the 1974 Heisman Trophy, which is a big award for college football players. He also won two other awards: the Meyer Morton award in 1974 and the John Maulbetsch Award in 1972. These awards recognized his growth, leadership, and promise as a player.

One of Franklin's most famous games was the 1973 Michigan vs. Ohio State football game. Both teams were undefeated. Ohio State was ranked No. 1, and Michigan was No. 4. The game was a tough battle and ended in a 10–10 tie.

Usually, if there was a tie, Michigan would have gone to the Rose Bowl because Ohio State had gone the year before. However, the Big Ten athletic directors chose Ohio State instead. Some reasons given were that Franklin broke his collarbone during the game. Also, Michigan didn't win on their home field, and Ohio State was ranked higher coming into the game.

College Statistics

Here are Dennis Franklin's college football statistics for passing and rushing:

Passing Stats

Rushing Stats

Professional Career and Life After Football

The Detroit Lions picked Dennis Franklin in the sixth round of the 1975 NFL draft. He changed his position from quarterback to wide receiver for the 1975 NFL season. He played for the Lions for two years. During that time, he played in nine games 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, Dennis Franklin lives in Santa Monica, California. He works in real estate. His son, Kenny, also went to Michigan and has become an actor. Kenny has appeared in movies like Cosmopolitan and S.W.A.T..

See also

• Michigan Wolverines football statistical leaders