Super Bowl Update

This story runs in the Monday print edition of the Dothan Eagle. It can be found on dothaneagle.com HERE. 

BY DREW CHAMPLIN | dchamplin@dothaneagle.com

TROY – One of Troy’s spring standouts is back where he belongs.

Junior Khary Franklin moved from wide receiver to running back – where he played most of his years growing up – and has shined despite the position being deep for the Trojans.

Troy coach Larry Blakeney had ideas of moving Franklin to running back even a week after he caught a 14-yard touchdown pass against North Texas last year. Franklin has speed, but didn’t get totally comfortable at the position and caught seven passes for 26 yards in two years.

“I said I’d love to move back to running back,” Franklin said. “It’s what I had been playing throughout pee wee leagues and middle school. That came more natural to me than wide receiver.”

Franklin played quarterback at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Ga., for his first three years of high school in a triple option offense. There, he got the attention of Georgia Tech, among others.

But he didn’t get any taller. Franklin is listed at 5-foot-8, though he’s probably closer to 5-foot-6. He played running back as a senior, but Troy coaches wanted to move him to receiver.

Now, they realize that running back is where he was meant to be.

“I think he’s adapting well to it,” Blakeney said. “It gives him a chance to get the ball and either bounce it and go or use his speed.

“If he makes a cut, he’s hard to find, and he is not afraid. He’ll run full speed into a crack.”

Blakeney emphasized Franklin’s lack of fear when it came to running the ball. Franklin said he got that trait when he moved to a new neighborhood in sixth grade and started playing backyard football against kids in high school.

“I was the youngest one out there,” Franklin said. “At first, they wanted to take it easy on me. After a while, they were trying to tackle me, but they couldn’t bring me down or catch me. Then they started treating me like I was one of the older kids.

“Then I started to take some licks. I love the game of football and I know you’re going to have to take contact every now and then.”

Franklin ran for 45 yards on nine carries in Troy’s recent scrimmage at Phenix City. The Trojans close spring practice this week with practices on Tuesday and Thursday and a final scrimmage at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

“The thing about Khary is that he has good vision,” Troy running backs coach Jeff Beckles said. “He sees the field very well. We had to slow him down a little bit as a running back because as a running back running zones, you have to see the hole and shoot through it, where he was just getting it and going.”

Franklin has proven that he will stick at running back, and wants to add more muscle mass before the fall. 

However, since Troy has four senior running backs returning – including the three leading returning rushers – Franklin said he has talked with coaches about using 2012 as a redshirt season with the chance for more playing time at the back end of his career.

Blakeney acknowledged that possibility, but said he doesn’t want to hold Franklin back if he can help the Trojans win games.

“I’m sort of an all hands on deck guy and I think he can help this football team next fall,” Blakeney said.