Fast Problems

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BOCA RATON – Amid the embarrassment John Franklin felt in the days after a replay review negated his 68-yard touchdown, determining he dropped the ball before reaching the goal line, the FAU wide receiver wanted to ensure his teammates knew he was grateful for their effort on the play.

“After reflecting on this I am disappointed, because I let the other 10 guys on the field down that provided me with the opportunity and disappointed that I didn’t protect the most important thing in our program…the ball!” Franklin tweeted on Thursday, five days after his Owls claimed their first Conference USA title.

On Monday Franklin spoke to the media about the play for the first time.

“I didn’t get down there by myself so just to let the guys down on the field – stuff like that sticks to me,” Franklin said. “It’s probably something that’s going to haunt me all my life. I won’t make that mistake again. I know hard they worked to open up that opportunity for me. That’s like my reward to them.”

After reflecting on this I am disappointed, because I let the other 10 guys on the field down that provided me with the opportunity and disappointed that I didn’t protect the most important thing in our program…the ball! It is a lesson learned #Owls👌🏾@Lane_Kiffin @espn @SEC pic.twitter.com/d5KLNjVDkW

— John Franklin III (@jf3_5) December 7, 2017

Leading 41-17 with a little more than one minute remaining, Franklin took the snap, faked a hand-off and raced around right end untouched for what appeared to be a 68-yard touchdown.

Originally officials called the play a touchdown. Even though there weren’t any cameras located along the goal line, a replay review found enough evidence to overturn the call, taking away the touchdown and giving the ball to North Texas.

“It sucked just because that would have been a two-touchdown game,” said Franklin, who earlier in the game caught a touchdown pass. “That would have been literally the dagger in their heart to cap off a good game that we played and to win the conference championship. The emotion that came out just came out a little too early.”

So early, in fact, that Franklin was one of the last to know that officials were reviewing the play.

“I honestly didn’t know that it happened,” Franklin said. “When I came on the sideline I was like, why aren’t we kicking the extra point? Kalib [Woods] came up. He was like, I think you dropped the ball. I said, Don’t tell me that. I didn’t know what happened until they showed it on the Jumbotron.”

Video of the play immediately drew national attention.

Franklin says that the play is still “eating at him,” but he’s able to keep a sense of humor about it.

“For me just being 20 yards ahead, I thought they would just give it to me anyways,” Franklin joked.



Franklin is only the latest example of a player releasing the ball before crossing the goal line before an apparent touchdown. DeSean Jackson is the most prominent player to make the mistake. Clemson’s Ray-Ray McCloud did it on the college level. Both Chad Johnson and Jerry Rice lost control of the ball prior to reaching the goal line, but replays did not overturn those TD calls.

“I think it only happens to fast people,” said Franklin, who boasts 4.25 40-yard dash speed. “Out of all of us that that’s happened to, that’s good company to be in.”

Franklin began his college career at Florida St. before transferring to East Mississippi Community College and then Auburn. After losing the quarterback battle at Auburn Franklin elected to move to wide receiver, then he transferred to FAU shortly before the start of the season to receive more opportunities at wide out.



That move didn’t work out the way Franklin had hoped. At the time of the transfer, FAU wide receivers Kalib Woods and Kamrin Solomon were under suspension for an off-field altercation. Both returned during the season, reclaiming their starting spots for the second half of the season.

The emergence of Devin Singletary leading an explosive running attack also limited opportunities in the passing game.

Franklin caught seven passes for 95 yards this season, with his lone receiving touchdown coming in the C-USA title game. During the final few games of the season Franklin was actually more successful lining up at quarterback, averaging 14.3 yards on on his 16 carries.

A redshirt senior, Franklin has one more game remaining in his college career. FAU faces Akron in the Dec. 19 Boca Raton Bowl.