Position: Quarterback Undrafted: 2014 Height 1.88 m Education University of Missouri | College: Missouri Name James Franklin Weight 104 kg | |
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Date of birth: (1991-07-23) July 23, 1991 (age 24) Place of birth: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma High school: Corinth (TX) Lake Dallas Role American football quarterback Number 1 (Missouri Tigers football / Quarterback) Parents Willie Franklin, Pamela Franklin Similar People Maty Mauk, Henry Josey, Gary Pinkel, T J Moe Profiles | ||
James Franklin (born July 23, 1991) is an American football quarterback for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He played college football at Missouri. He was the Tigers' starting quarterback from 2011 to 2013.
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Early years
Franklin attended Lake Dallas High School in Corinth, Texas.
He was rated the #4 Dual-Threat Quarterback in the country by Rivals.com.
College career
As a freshman in 2010, Franklin was the backup to Blaine Gabbert. He played in 10 games, completing 11 of 14 passes for 106 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also ran for 116 yards on 23 carries with two touchdowns. He became the starter in 2011 after Gabbert entered the 2011 NFL Draft.
As a sophomore in 2011, Franklin started all 13 games for Missouri, leading them to an 8–5 record. He completed 63.3% of his passes for 2865 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He also rushed 217 times for 981 yards and 15 touchdowns. Franklin led Missouri to a number of comeback victories, erasing a 14-point deficit against the Texas A&M Aggies and the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and a 10-point deficit against the Kansas Jayhawks. Franklin also led Missouri to its first win over the Texas Longhorns since 1997.
Franklin was named MVP of the Independence Bowl after leading Missouri to a 41–24 victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels, accounting for 274 total yards of offense and 3 touchdowns.
On March 19, 2012, it was announced that Franklin would have surgery on his throwing shoulder but he was expected to recover in time for the start of the regular season. He returned for the start of the season, but battled injuries throughout the season, appearing in only nine games. He finished the season with 1,562 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
As a senior in 2013, Franklin appeared in 10 games, missing four due to injury. He finished the season with 2,429 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. In his final college game, he helped lead the Tigers to a victory in the 2014 Cotton Bowl.
Detroit Lions
Franklin went undrafted in the 2014 NFL Draft, but on May 10, 2014, the Detroit Lions signed Franklin to a rookie free-agent deal. On August 25, 2014, he was released.
Edmonton Eskimos
According to his Twitter account, James Franklin signed in the Canadian Football League with the Edmonton Eskimos on April 10, 2015. Franklin began the 2015 CFL season as the number 3 quarterback on the depth chart; behind Mike Reilly and Matt Nichols. In two preseason games James Franklin completed 26 of 40 pass attempts for 316 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception.