Johnathan Franklin: Playing in Green Bay a “blessing”

The Green Bay Packers’ rookie class has yet to practice in full pads, but less than two months removed from the 2013 NFL Draft, fourth-round pick Johnathan Franklin already seems poised to have a long, successful career.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist, a brain surgeon or the mayor of Los Angeles to figure out whether or not a guy “gets it.” And get it, Franklin does.

Growing up in south-central Los Angeles, ten of Franklin’s close acquaintances were shot in killed during his childhood, according to JSOnline.com. But Franklin beat the odds and went on to have a successful four-year run at UCLA.

After racking up over 2,000 total yards as a senior in 2012, Franklin expected to hear his name called early on draft day. But as the picks kept coming, Franklin kept waiting.

“It was a humbling experience for me,” Franklin said June 13 in an interview with Packers Talk Radio Network. “I was hearing probably late first round, early second round or perhaps third at the latest. On (Day 2) I had my family over, I had cameras there and I didn’t get drafted.”

Franklin’s draft-day fall wasn’t quite as dramatic as Aaron Rodgers’ in 2005; Rodgers was the last player in the green room after being mentioned as possible No. 1 overall pick, whereas Franklin watched the draft from L.A. But nonetheless, few foresaw Franklin dropping to the fourth round.

On Day 3 of the draft, NFL Network’s Mike Mayock spoke highly of Franklin, citing UCLA head coach Jim Mora’s high opinion of his former standout running back.

“For coaches, some (players) kind of hit your heart as well as your mind,” Mayock said. “And I could tell with Coach Mora, this was one of those kids that really resonated with him. I could tell him all day long, (Franklin) was going to go in the fourth or fifth round, and he was going to pound the table and say, ‘He’s better than that.’ Because he felt it.”

Still, Franklin feels fortunate to have landed where he did.

“Sometimes, God puts us in certain situations where we have to let go and just let him be in control,” Franklin said. “It was definitely a blessing. I ended up in a great place.”

Green Bay, with a population of about 106,000, is a far cry from Los Angeles — a city of almost four million. But while moving to Wisconsin has undoubtedly been a big adjustment for Franklin, he welcomes the change of scenery.

“There’s no traffic out here in Green Bay,” Franklin said. “That’s a great adjustment for me. It’s definitely a lot slower, but the people are very nice and welcoming … This entire city has been amazing to me.”

Upon arriving in Green Bay, Franklin wasn’t aware that the Packers were a community-owned team. But one doesn’t make it through four years of major college football without hearing of the Packers’ unique and colorful history. And after the likes of Curly Lambeau, Vince Lombardi, Bart Starr and Brett Favre, many hear the words “Green Bay” and immediately think of the not-so-green climate. They think of the frozen tundra.

For a west-coast guy like Franklin, coming to a region where the locals consider 45 degrees worthy of shorts and a T-shirt, the weather will certainly take some getting used to.

“I don’t think I’ve ever even seen snow before, so that’s definitely going to be something new for me,” Franklin said. “I played a bowl game in D.C. and it was about 14 degrees … I couldn’t wait for the game to end, the field was frozen solid, it was terrible.”

UCLA defeated Temple 30-21 in the 2009 EagleBank Bowl despite frigid temperatures. Franklin will need to grow tolerant of the cold weather if he’s going to remain in Green Bay long-term, but the field conditions at Lambeau Field are far better than those at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium.

This season, the Packers hope to become a more complete offense for the playoff push in the winter months. And by drafting Alabama running back Eddie Lacy in the second round and Franklin in the fourth, the Packers hope they’ve added a physical ground game to complement their potent air attack.

Lacy, a 5-foot-11, 230-pound bruiser, figures to help solve the Packers’ short-yardage woes, while Franklin adds more of a home-run threat on the perimeter. Both players will likely be a part of the offense, but they’ll also be competing with one another for touches.

“Eddie is a great player, and he’s a great guy,” Franklin said. “He’s been my roommate for the past month … They brought us in here to contribute to Green Bay, regardless of who’s playing more and who’s not playing. We have to make this team better.”

Leading up to the draft, the primary concern over Lacy was the condition of his toe. For Franklin, the questions regarding ball security were prevalent, while some wondered whether he would be reliable in pass protection.

But the rookie is aware that he has a lot to learn, and if he can’t be counted upon to protect the quarterback, Franklin knows he won’t be on the field.

“Running back is not just about running, and it’s not just about catching,” Franklin said. “It’s about blocking, it’s about doing everything … You have to be a complete back to play in this offense and this league. Blocking is required, and if you can’t do it, you won’t be here for a long time.”

But if the first impressions are accurate, Franklin will be around Green Bay for a while. Having already risen above a gang-heavy L.A. neighborhood to the NFL, Franklin enters the professional ranks with lofty aspirations and the right attitude.

Many people never make it out of the inner-city cycle that’s become all too common in certain urban areas, but Franklin kept looking ahead and focused on achieving his goals. On draft day, 124 players heard their name called before Franklin came off the board, but despite having hopes of being drafted earlier, Franklin simply said he’s “thankful” to have even been drafted at all.

One day, Franklin hopes to have a career in politics. Whether he’s the mayor of Los Angeles or in Green Bay, that chapter of his life will have to wait. Because while the Packers offense has been starving for balance, Franklin has been anxiously awaiting an opportunity like the one he now has before him.

“Being in LA, you have so much going on, so you really don’t have that football town or community that loves the game,” Franklin said. “I’ve been dreaming of being in a community like this since I was a kid. Everywhere you go, it’s Green Bay Packers.”

So far, he’s saying all the right things. This summer, all eyes will be on Franklin to see if he’s as impressive in pads as he is in an interview.

——————

Follow @MJEversoll

Marques is a Journalism student, serving as the Sports Editor of UW-Green Bay\'s campus newspaper The Fourth Estate and a Packers writer at Jersey Al\'s AllGBP.com. Follow Marques on Twitter @MJEversoll.

——————