Frankie Franklin

Still to this day, there is only one man that is recognized as the original “Mr Football” for Jacksonville and Northeast Florida and that’s Frankie Franklin. Franklin won the state’s highest individual football honor in 1995 after leading the Sandalwood Saints to an undefeated regular season and the Class 6A state title game. He was the first player to win the honor from Northeast Florida. In that season, Franklin rushed for 2,319 yards before being injured in a regional playoff game vs Winter Park. He would miss the state semifinal game against Orlando Evans, but returned on a gimpy knee in the title game vs Miami Northwestern where the Saints fell 12-7. 

He finished that season as the only running back in the state of Florida to rush for 2,000 yards. For his career, he rushed for 5,471 yards, finishing 5th All-Time at the time. Franklin would enroll in Holmes Community College (Jucco) before enrolling in Indiana in 1998. In two seasons as a Hoosier, Franklin rushed for 438-yards and 2TDs. The ultimate mixture of speed, power, and burst, Franklin was named to the Florida Times Union Super 24. He contributes to the community as a football coach at various stops, including Nease and Ponte Vedra. He is also a business owner.