Green Bay Packers rookie running back Jonathan Franklin has a unique nickname-The Mayor.
His goal was to fall in love with the town where he hoped to play his entire career. And when his career was over, he would run for mayor of Green Bay-and win.
Franklin had expressed an interest in a political future while still at UCLA, talking about becoming mayor of his hometown Los Angeles after his playing career was over. A lofty goal for someone who had just a few months prior graduated from college.
But for now, Franklin needs to work on becoming an impact player on the Packers, not worrying nearly as much about his post football career, and much more about his current profession.
Franklin has done very little since Training Camp began to show why Ted Thompson traded up to grab him in the fourth round of April’s draft. His hope of becoming “Mayor” having been replaced with him simply making the Packers roster to start the 2013 season.
Including the Family Night Scrimmage, Franklin has carried the ball 16 times for 40 yards. A mere 2.5 yards per carry.
One anonymous scout had a less than positive review of Franklin thus far in his NFL career:
“If you didn’t know he was a draft pick, you’d think he was a free agent.”
Far from impressive for a player who many had hopes of teaming with fellow rookie Eddie Lacy to form the Packers running back tandem for years to come.
Franklin has two preseason games left to find the spark that made him such a productive player at UCLA-the spark that enabled him to become the school’s all time leading rusher.
This video is the reason the Packers drafted him this Spring:
His rookie campaign needs help ASAP, and the time for him to gain votes of confidence from those that really matter-Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy-is quickly coming to an end.
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John Rehor is a writer at PackersTalk.com.
He can also be heard as one of the Co-Hosts of Cheesehead Radio. ---------------------
2 responses to “Midweek Movie: The Mayor Needs Help in His Campaign ASAP”
I’m going to preface this comment by explaining that I can not be counted on to rationally speak about Johnathan Franklin. I felt about the Franklin selection the same way I felt about the Cobb selection after the Super Bowl. He’s had 16 carries and of the ones that I’ve seen they were out of the shotgun with nowhere to run. How many snaps has he taken where he’s not running behind Greg Van Roten and Patrick Lewis. Everybody needs to relax and see what happens with Franklin as a tailback running behind the first team line.
I hope you’re right Ross-because up to this point he looks far from the player he was at UCLA.
But if he can get get moving…teamed up with Harris, Lacy…that could be a ground game trio that would make opposing defenses shiver in fear for years to come.