John Franklin

Photo by: Kevin Koski

Photo by: Hardy Meredith | SFA Photography

Photo by: Hardy Meredith | SFA Photography

Photo by: SFA Athletics

Class:
Senior
Ht./Wt.:
6-4 / 292
Position:
DE
Hometown:
Greenville, Texas
High School:
Greenville

- 135th Overall Pick (4th Round) in 2018 NFL Draft (Los Angeles Rams)
- SFA's 33rd NFL Draft Pick
- 2018 NFL Scouting Combine Participant
- 2018 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Participant
- 2016 All-Southland Conference First Team
- 2015 and 2017 All-Southland Conference Second Team
- 2015-17 Southland Conference All-Academic Team
- No. 31 Most Important Player in Texas for 2017 by Dave Campbell's Texas Football
- 2018 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society Member

Career: Three-time All-Southland selection, including garnering first-team honors as a junior in 2016 ... Three-time Southland All-Academic Team honoree ... Completed his Lumberjack career fifth on SFA's all-time career tackles for loss list with 37.5 over four seasons ... Finished ninth in program history in all-time career sacks (17.5) ... Compiled 130 total tackles in four seasons, including making 70 solo stops ... Forced five fumbles and had 22 quarterback hurries throughout his career ... Named to the 2018 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society for maintaining a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout his collegiate career.

2017 (Senior): All-Southland Second Team selection and Southland All-Academic Team member ... Played in all 11 games at defensive end with 10 starts ... Led the 'Jacks defensive front in his final season suiting up for the Purple and White, posting a team-best 13.5 tackles for loss for negative 46 yards ... Dished out a team-high 3.5 sacks for a loss of 24 yards ... Made 11.5 tackles for loss in league play for the fifth-most in the conference ... Tied for sixth in the Southland in tackles for loss per game (1.28) in league contests ... Ranked 42nd nationally in tackles for loss per game (1.2) for the entire season ... Finished with the fifth-most total tackles (55) on the team, including 27 solo stops ... Also had eight quarterback hurries on the season ... Tabbed as the 31st-most important player in Texas by Dave Campbell's Texas Football heading into the season ... Registered a career-high nine tackles in his final collegiate game at Northwestern State (Nov. 18), including making a season-high three tackles for loss for minus 10 yards and forcing a fumble ... Recorded seven total tackles, including 0.5 tackle for loss, and had a quarterback hurry against 25th-ranked McNeese (Sept. 30) ... Notched two quarterback hurries in the near-upset of No. 11/9 Sam Houston State (Oct. 7) ... Invited to play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl following the season where he led the Mike Martz' coached National team to a 23-0 rout over the American squad ... Posted a team-high tying seven total tackles, including a tackle for loss, at the 2018 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and had a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry.

2016 (Junior): All-Southland Conference First Team selection ... Southland All-Academic selection ... Played in all 11 games for the Lumberjacks with nine starts at defensive end ... Finished the year with 32 tackles, including 20 solo stops, with 14.5 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, four forced fumbles and nine quarterback hurries ... Led the SLC in both QBH and forced fumbles, ranking eighth nationally ... Was fourth in the league in both sacks and tackles for loss, ranking 41st and 43rd, respectively, nationally ... Key member of SFA's defensive line that ranked among national leaders in both tackles for loss and sacks ... Finished with a season-high seven tackles against West Alabama, including four solo tackles, 3.0 sacks, a forced fumble and two QBH ... Had six tackles, including five unassisted, with 3.0 TFL, 1.0 sack and a forced fumble against Central Arkansas ... Posted four tackles (three unassisted) with 2.0 TFL and a sack at Nicholls ... Also registered sacks against Abilene Christian, Southeastern Louisiana and at Incarnate Word ... Credited with forced fumbles against Southeastern Louisiana and against Central Arkansas ... Preseason All-Southland Conference first team selection.

2015 (Sophomore): All-Southland Conference Second Team selection ... Southland All-Academic selection ... HERO FCS Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 21) ... Played in all 11 games for the Lumberjacks with four starts ... Recorded 32 tackles on the year, including 17 solo stops ... Led SFA in both tackles for loss (8.5) and sacks (6.0) with a team-best five quarterback hurries ... Earned HERO FCS Defensive Player of the Week honors after registering four tackles for loss, three of which were sacks, in the win at 21st-ranked Southeastern Louisiana ... Had a season-high five tackles on three occasions, including at third-ranked TCU in his return to the DFW Metroplex ... Also had five tackles each against Houston Baptist and at Northwestern State, credited with 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack in each game ... Registered four tackles each against Southeastern Louisiana and at Central Arkansas ... Posted a sack against McNeese State.

2014 (Freshman): Appeared in eight games as a true freshman ... Finished with 11 tackles on the year, including six solo tackles and a tackle for loss ... Recorded a pair of solo tackles at 20th-ranked Kansas State in his collegiate debut, as well as deflecting a pass which resulted in a Collin Garrett interception ... Posted three tackles in the NCAA FCS opening round playoff game at Northern Iowa with a tackle for loss ... Recorded a pair of tackles each against Texas A&M-Commerce and at Nicholls.

Prior to SFA: Three year starter at defensive end at Greenville High School ... Two-time first-team all-district selection ... Honorable mention all-district selection in 2012 ... Two-time program Defensive MVP ... Coached by Chawn Cooper and Marvin Sedberry ... Also lettered in basketball and track and field ... A/B honor roll student ... Aunt is Suzanne Reeves ... Born in Los Angeles, California ... Brother Ernesto Villasenor is a defensive lineman at Adams State ... Majoring in kinesiology.