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Zaire Franklin

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Zaire Franklin
No. 44 – Indianapolis Colts
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1996-07-02) July 2, 1996 (age 28)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school:La Salle College
(Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania)
College:Syracuse (2014–2017)
NFL draft:2018 / round: 7 / pick: 235
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career NFL statistics as of Week 7, 2024
Total tackles:516
Sacks:4.5
Forced fumbles:6
Fumble recoveries:1
Interceptions:1
Pass deflections:16
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Zaire Najee Franklin (born July 2, 1996) is an American professional football linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Syracuse.

College career

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Franklin played the position of Linebacker for Syracuse University Football for 2014-2017 seasons.[1] While at Syracuse, Franklin recorded 311 career tackles over the course of 48 total games, starting the final 39 of his career. Franklin was a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection.[2] Additionally, he was only the second three-time captain in Orange football history and the first since 1896.[3]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 0+1⁄8 in
(1.83 m) 		239 lb
(108 kg) 		31+3⁄4 in
(0.81 m) 		9+1⁄2 in
(0.24 m)		 4.62 s 1.55 s 2.65 s 4.22 s 6.97 s 38.0 in
(0.97 m)		 10 ft 2 in
(3.10 m)		 30 reps
All values from 2017 Syracuse Pro Day[4]

Franklin was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round, 235th overall, of the 2018 NFL draft.[5] The Colts previously obtained the pick used to select Franklin by trading Henry Anderson to the New York Jets. Franklin made his NFL debut on September 9, 2018, against the Cincinnati Bengals, recording one tackle on special teams.[6] He made his first career start at linebacker on September 23 against the Philadelphia Eagles, notching one tackle on defense and another on special teams.[7] In his rookie season, Franklin appeared in all 16 regular season games, starting two, and recorded 29 tackles and one pass defended.[8]

On September 8, 2020, Franklin was named one of the five team captains heading into the 2020 season.[9]

On March 16, 2022, Franklin signed a three-year, $12 million contract extension with the Colts.[10] In the 2022 season, Franklin had three sacks, 167 total tackles (102 solo), six passes defended, and two forced fumbles in 17 starts.[11]

In 2023, Franklin finished the season second in the league with a career-high 179 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and six passes defensed through 16 starts.[12][13] Franklin was ranked 100th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2024.[14]

On March 11, 2024, with Franklin beginning the last year of his contract, the Colts signed him to a three-year extension worth up to $31.3 million.[15]

Personal life

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Franklin was the Colts nominee for the 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his charitable efforts in founding and leading Shelice's Angels.[16] Shelice's Angels seeks "to open doors and provide resources that will help build self esteem while providing positive reinforcement in the lives of young women" and focuses specifically in the areas of technology, community giving, and academic achievement.[17]

References

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  1. ^ "Zaire Franklin - Football - Syracuse University Athletics". Cuse.com. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  2. ^ "Zaire Franklin". Cuse.com. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  3. ^ Bailey, Stephen (October 11, 2017). "Syracuse football names 2017 captains: LB Zaire Franklin 1st 3-timer since 1890s". Syracuse.com. The Post-Standard. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  4. ^ "Zaire Franklin, Syracuse, OLB, 2018 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com.
  5. ^ Mock, Brett (April 28, 2018). "Indianapolis Colts Select LB Zaire Franklin with Pick 235 in NFL Draft". StampedeBlue.com. SB Nation. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  6. ^ "Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts - September 9th, 2018-Snap counts". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  7. ^ Walker, Andrew (September 25, 2018). "2018 Colts Rookie Watch: Week 3". Colts.com. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  8. ^ Stano, Ryan (January 23, 2019). "Colts 2018 rookies: Zaire Franklin". HorseShoeHeroes.com. FanSided. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  9. ^ Walker, Andrew (September 8, 2020). "Colts Announce Team Captains For 2020 Season". Colts.com. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  10. ^ Stankevitz, JJ (March 16, 2022). "Colts Sign LB Zaire Franklin To Contract Extension". Colts.com. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  11. ^ "Zaire Franklin 2022 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  12. ^ "Zaire Franklin 2023 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  13. ^ "2023 NFL Defense". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  14. ^ Foster, Amanda (July 23, 2024). "Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin ranked No. 100 on NFL Network's Top 100 Players of 2024". Colts.com. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  15. ^ Erickson, Joel A. (March 11, 2024). "Colts sign Zaire Franklin to three-year extension". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  16. ^ Stankevitz, JJ (December 5, 2023). "Colts Nominate LB Zaire Franklin For 2023 Walter Payton Man Of The Year Award". Colts.com. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  17. ^ "About". Shelice's Angels. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
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