Officer Franklin started playing football around the age of 12 years old. He went on to play college ball at California State University Northridge. From there, Franklin began a Cincinnati Bengal, where he played two years as running back. His favorite memories of his NFL days were the traveling and how people treated him on the road.
“Everyone figured I was special because I was from California,” said Franklin. “They always asked me two things: if I have been to Disneyland, or if I’d ever been on Soul Train.”
He enjoyed his NFL experience and has no regrets.
After coming on to the job in October of 1980, Franklin joined the Centurions, LAPD’s tackle football team, where he played fullback for 10 years.
“It was like being born again,” Franklin says.
Living in Los Angeles for most of his life, Franklin decided to join the Department to help better the community he grew up in. He considers himself a people-person.
“I like to be around people,” he said, naming a few reasons he decided to become LAPD. “And I like helping people.”
After he ended his football career as a Centurion, he began bodybuilding for the LAPD, and has been bodybuilding for the past 15 years. He also is a loving husband and a proud father of his two children. Although his favorite sport has always been football, being a big Oakland Raider fan, he has also become a soccer fan. Franklin’s son, who played soccer since he was young, now plays the position of defender for the LA Galaxy, being their number one pick last year. Franklin’s daughter, age 16, just placed fifth in the nation on her track relay team in the Junior Olympics.
Being proud of his family and happy with the way his life turned out, he admits how he is ”very lucky, and very blessed.”
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Officer Franklin started playing football around the age of 12 years old. He went on to play college ball at California State University Northridge. From there, Franklin began a Cincinnati Bengal, where he played two years as running back. His favorite memories of his NFL days were the traveling and how people treated him on the road.
