Post by Banana Cat on Mar 28, 2012 5:19:34 GMT -5
siouxcityjournal.com/sports/football/amateur/bandits-franklin-enjoys-freedom-of-position-switch/article_e43c5cc3-b64d-5d71-8c40-8fa5da85fd03.html
Bandits' Franklin enjoys freedom of position switch
BY MICHAEL BRAUER / siouxcityjournal.com
March 26, 2012
Defending champion Bandits pick up where they left off
SIOUX CITY -- A small crowd gathered around No. 9's spot at the table last Saturday, where the Sioux City Bandits signed postgame autographs.
It broke into a familiar chorus.
"Happy Birthday to Ra---hn, Happy Birthday to you!"
As his friends finished, Rahn Franklin grinned ear-to-ear -- partly because it was his 26th birthday, and partly because he'd given himself a pretty nice gift.
A pair of them, in fact.
Franklin snared two of the Sioux City Bandits' three interceptions during Saturday night's opener, helping the reigning APFL champions kick off their season with a 70-40 rout of the Oklahoma Defenders.
In the flurry that is indoor football, points come in bunches and defensive stands tend to be few and far between. So the turnover margin often means difference between winning and losing.
"We need to get three takeaways a game," said Bandit defensive coordinator John Zevenbergen. "And if we can also get four, five or six stops a game, we're going to win. That's just bottom line."
It's one of the reasons why at the first spring practice, Zevenbergen asked the speedy Franklin to move from cornerback to safety.
Franklin wasn't sure. But he did it anyway.
"I wanted to stay at corner because I was comfortable there. But, as with life, there is little that is consistent," he laughed. "I was open to trying something new, because I realized versatility would help us as a team. It also allows us to be a little more risky."
Less than one quarter into 2012, Franklin had already made 'Coach Z' look like a genius.
His first interception on Saturday came at a crucial point, with the game still tied at 6. Franklin stepped in front of Rico Watkins' errant pass near the midfield, then juked and jived all the way down inside the Defender 5-yard line.
Watch the way he weaved through his blocks, looking more like a veteran running back than a safety, and it's a small wonder that Franklin scored three times off interceptions last season -- his rookie year with the Bandits.
"He's just so great at baiting the quarterback into making a throw that he shouldn't," Zevenbergen said. "And once he has it, he has the speed and quickness to make that play."
It's the same first step Franklin had as the starting point guard on Buena Vista University's basketball team. The 2008 BVU graduate (and homecoming king) didn't even step on the collegiate gridiron until his senior season.
"I thought I was too small, and I was too stubborn to step into the game I loved the most," Franklin said.
Football runs in the Kansas City native's blood. Rahn's little brother Stephen, a former Southern Illinois linebacker, recently finished his rookie season on special teams with the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.
"Football's part of my family," Franklin said. "by not playing, I guess I was kind of repressing some rudimentary love."
Not anymore.
After switching to a completely different sport, swapping from cornerback to safety seems like a relatively minor change for Franklin.
"Turns out I'm pretty successful back there," he said. "It's a fun spot to be in. I get to make plays and be a guy who protects the green.
"So I get to protect and serve at the same time."The other pick belonged to Franklin's fellow safety, Taylor Schumacher.
"Yeah that's 14," said Schumacher, who intercepted a franchise-record 13 interceptions last season. "But I think Rahn caught up tonight. He had two."
A little friendly competition? Not really, Franklin insists.
"You know, it may exist for some people -- but for me, no," Franklin said. "But it's fun to hear other people be competitive about those numbers."
The only number Franklin and Schumacher really care about?
Three.
"That's one of our goals, to get at least three turnovers a game," Franklin said. "It's something we kind of hang our hat on."
BY MICHAEL BRAUER / siouxcityjournal.com
March 26, 2012
Defending champion Bandits pick up where they left off
SIOUX CITY -- A small crowd gathered around No. 9's spot at the table last Saturday, where the Sioux City Bandits signed postgame autographs.
It broke into a familiar chorus.
"Happy Birthday to Ra---hn, Happy Birthday to you!"
As his friends finished, Rahn Franklin grinned ear-to-ear -- partly because it was his 26th birthday, and partly because he'd given himself a pretty nice gift.
A pair of them, in fact.
Franklin snared two of the Sioux City Bandits' three interceptions during Saturday night's opener, helping the reigning APFL champions kick off their season with a 70-40 rout of the Oklahoma Defenders.
In the flurry that is indoor football, points come in bunches and defensive stands tend to be few and far between. So the turnover margin often means difference between winning and losing.
"We need to get three takeaways a game," said Bandit defensive coordinator John Zevenbergen. "And if we can also get four, five or six stops a game, we're going to win. That's just bottom line."
It's one of the reasons why at the first spring practice, Zevenbergen asked the speedy Franklin to move from cornerback to safety.
Franklin wasn't sure. But he did it anyway.
"I wanted to stay at corner because I was comfortable there. But, as with life, there is little that is consistent," he laughed. "I was open to trying something new, because I realized versatility would help us as a team. It also allows us to be a little more risky."
Less than one quarter into 2012, Franklin had already made 'Coach Z' look like a genius.
His first interception on Saturday came at a crucial point, with the game still tied at 6. Franklin stepped in front of Rico Watkins' errant pass near the midfield, then juked and jived all the way down inside the Defender 5-yard line.
Watch the way he weaved through his blocks, looking more like a veteran running back than a safety, and it's a small wonder that Franklin scored three times off interceptions last season -- his rookie year with the Bandits.
"He's just so great at baiting the quarterback into making a throw that he shouldn't," Zevenbergen said. "And once he has it, he has the speed and quickness to make that play."
It's the same first step Franklin had as the starting point guard on Buena Vista University's basketball team. The 2008 BVU graduate (and homecoming king) didn't even step on the collegiate gridiron until his senior season.
"I thought I was too small, and I was too stubborn to step into the game I loved the most," Franklin said.
Football runs in the Kansas City native's blood. Rahn's little brother Stephen, a former Southern Illinois linebacker, recently finished his rookie season on special teams with the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.
"Football's part of my family," Franklin said. "by not playing, I guess I was kind of repressing some rudimentary love."
Not anymore.
After switching to a completely different sport, swapping from cornerback to safety seems like a relatively minor change for Franklin.
"Turns out I'm pretty successful back there," he said. "It's a fun spot to be in. I get to make plays and be a guy who protects the green.
"So I get to protect and serve at the same time."The other pick belonged to Franklin's fellow safety, Taylor Schumacher.
"Yeah that's 14," said Schumacher, who intercepted a franchise-record 13 interceptions last season. "But I think Rahn caught up tonight. He had two."
A little friendly competition? Not really, Franklin insists.
"You know, it may exist for some people -- but for me, no," Franklin said. "But it's fun to hear other people be competitive about those numbers."
The only number Franklin and Schumacher really care about?
Three.
"That's one of our goals, to get at least three turnovers a game," Franklin said. "It's something we kind of hang our hat on."