2014 Football Roster
Roster
Franklin, Zaire
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Jersey Number 45
Zaire Franklin
- Position:
- Linebacker
- Height:
- 6-0
- Weight:
- 238
- Class:
- Freshman
- Hometown:
- Philadelphia, Pa.
- High School:
- La Salle College
Bio
Career Overview:Â Second three-time captain in the history of Syracuse football (Robert Adams, 1894-96) and the first in the modern era ... First player in conference history to represent his team at the ACC Kickoff media event three years in a row (2015, 2016, 2017) ... Two-time All-ACC selection ... Played in all 48 games during his four seasons ... Started the last 39 games of his career, including every game from 2015-17 at middle linebacker ... Tallied 311 tackles, the most for a Syracuse defender since Kelvin Smith notched 325 from 2003-06 ... Finished his career tied for ninth in program history with 31.5 tackles for loss ... Also recorded 8.5 sacks, 10 passes defended (8 pass breakups, 2 INT) and five forced fumbles ... Nine games with 10+ tackles ... In 2016, teamed with Parris Bennett to become the first set of Orange teammates with 100+ tackles in the same season since 2003 ... Was actively involved with the Syracuse University chapter of Uplifting Athletes and served on the Syracuse Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) ... Four letters.
Senior Year (2017): All-ACC Honorable Mention selection ... Voted team captain for the third year in a row ... Semifinalist for the inaugural Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award and the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup ... Lott IMPACT Trophy quarterfinalist ... Senior CLASS Award candidate ... Recipient of the Central New York chapter of the National Football Foundation's (NFF) Scholar-Athlete Award ... Started all 12 games at middle linebacker and ranked second on the team with 85 tackles (41 solo), including 5.5 for a loss, and 1.5 sacks ... Also logged two pass breakups and five quarterback hurries ... Two games with 10+ tackles and had at least five stops in nine out of 12 contests ... Tied for the team lead with seven tackles, including one for a loss, versus Middle Tennessee (9/9) ... Tied for the Orange tackle lead for the second week in a row, making eight stops, including one for a loss, and registering a quarterback pressure against Central Michigan (9/16) ... Credited with 12 tackles, one quarterback pressure, and a pass breakup at NC State (9/30) ... Against Clemson (10/13), recorded four tackles, including a sack ... At Florida State (11/4), carded seven tackles, including one for a loss, and a forced fumble ... Racked up a career-high 16 tackles and a quarterback hurry versus Wake Forest (11/11) ... Four tackles, including half a sack, at Louisville (11/18) ... Tallied eight tackles and a quarterback hurry on Senior Day versus Boston College (11/25).  Â
Junior Year (2016): Named to the All-ACC Third Team by the media and earned All-ACC Honorable Mention recognition from the league’s head coaches ... Started all 12 games at middle linebacker and named one of SU’s four captains following the season ... Second on the team with 101 tackles (56 solo) ... Eighth in the ACC in tackles per game (8.4) ... Tied for the team lead with 10 tackles for loss ... Also carded two sacks, one interception, three pass breakups, one quarterback pressure and one forced fumble ... Voted ACC Linebacker of the Week twice ... Five games with 10+ tackles ... Served as SU’s defensive game captain a team-high four times (vs. Colgate, vs. Virginia Tech, vs. NC State, at Pittsburgh) ... Defensive captain and notched four tackles versus Colgate (9/2) ... Against Louisville (9/9), tallied six tackles and a forced fumble ... Eight tackles, including 0.5 for a loss, versus USF (9/17) ... At Connecticut (9/24), had a season-high 14 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss, and broke up a pass … Had a role in two of the game’s biggest plays, deflecting a Bryant Shirreffs’ pass that Cordell Hudson intercepted and returned for a 22-yard touchdown, and tackling Shirreffs short of the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line with SU holding a 24-17 lead in the fourth quarter ... Named ACC Linebacker of the Week for the performance ... Nine tackles, including 1.5 for a loss, one sack and an interception against Notre Dame (10/1) ... Tallied a sack for the second game in a row at Wake Forest (10/8) and finished with 10 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss, and one pass breakup against the Demon Deacons ... Defensive captain versus Virginia Tech (10/15) and logged 10 tackles, including one for a loss of two yards, to earn ACC Linebacker of the Week plaudits again ... Seven tackles, one quarterback pressure and one pass breakup at Boston College (10/22) ... Tied his season-best with 14 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss, at Clemson (11/5) ... Against NC State (11/12), carded 11 tackles, including one for a loss, as SU’s defensive captain ... Defensive captain for the season finale at Pittsburgh (11/26) and made five tackles.
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Sophomore Year (2015): Started all 12 games at middle linebacker … Voted the fourth sophomore captain in team history and first since Angelo Acocella in 1945 ... Led SU in tackles (81) and was second on the team in tackles for loss (11) ... Team’s leading tackler in four games (vs. Rhode Island, vs. Pittsburgh, at Florida State, vs. Boston College) ... Against Rhode Island (9/4), paced the defense with six solo tackles, including two for a loss, and one sack ... Had nine tackles and intercepted the first pass of his career, returning it 21 yards, versus Central Michigan (9/19) ... Season-high 11 tackles and posted career-high totals with three tackles for loss and two sacks against Pittsburgh (10/24) … Also forced a fumble against the Panthers ... Credited with a team-high nine tackles, including one for a loss, at Florida State (10/31) ... At Louisville (11/7), recorded six tackles and forced a fumble in the red zone that was recovered by Steven Clark ... Had eight tackles versus Clemson (11/14) ... Followed it up with eight more stops at NC State (11/21), including one for a loss, and a pass breakup ... Led the Orange with seven tackles, including two for a loss, against Boston College (11/28) … Member of the 2016 Spring SU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.
Freshman Year (2014): Appeared in all 12 games, including starting the final three games of the season … Led all Orange freshmen and finished sixth on the team with 44 tackles, including five for a loss, and two sacks ... Totaled three tackles at Wake Forest (10/18), including a season-best two for a loss, and his first career sack … Had six tackles and forced the first fumble of his career versus NC State (11/1) … Made his first career start and finished with six tackles versus Duke (11/8) … Recorded a season-high 10 tackles at Pittsburgh (11/22) … Named to the All-ACC Academic Team … ACC Honor Roll selection … Member of the SU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll both semesters.
High School: Played for head coach Drew Gordon … Named to the 2013 PIAA AAAA All-State Team … 2013 AAAA All-Catholic League First Team selection … Selected to play in the 2014 Big 33 Football Classic … Team captain.
Personal: Zaire Najee Franklin … Born in July 1996 in Philadelphia, Pa. … His aunt, Marla Burke, is his guardian … Three brothers, three sisters … Dual major in finance and marketing management.
Senior Year (2017): All-ACC Honorable Mention selection ... Voted team captain for the third year in a row ... Semifinalist for the inaugural Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award and the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup ... Lott IMPACT Trophy quarterfinalist ... Senior CLASS Award candidate ... Recipient of the Central New York chapter of the National Football Foundation's (NFF) Scholar-Athlete Award ... Started all 12 games at middle linebacker and ranked second on the team with 85 tackles (41 solo), including 5.5 for a loss, and 1.5 sacks ... Also logged two pass breakups and five quarterback hurries ... Two games with 10+ tackles and had at least five stops in nine out of 12 contests ... Tied for the team lead with seven tackles, including one for a loss, versus Middle Tennessee (9/9) ... Tied for the Orange tackle lead for the second week in a row, making eight stops, including one for a loss, and registering a quarterback pressure against Central Michigan (9/16) ... Credited with 12 tackles, one quarterback pressure, and a pass breakup at NC State (9/30) ... Against Clemson (10/13), recorded four tackles, including a sack ... At Florida State (11/4), carded seven tackles, including one for a loss, and a forced fumble ... Racked up a career-high 16 tackles and a quarterback hurry versus Wake Forest (11/11) ... Four tackles, including half a sack, at Louisville (11/18) ... Tallied eight tackles and a quarterback hurry on Senior Day versus Boston College (11/25).  Â
Junior Year (2016): Named to the All-ACC Third Team by the media and earned All-ACC Honorable Mention recognition from the league’s head coaches ... Started all 12 games at middle linebacker and named one of SU’s four captains following the season ... Second on the team with 101 tackles (56 solo) ... Eighth in the ACC in tackles per game (8.4) ... Tied for the team lead with 10 tackles for loss ... Also carded two sacks, one interception, three pass breakups, one quarterback pressure and one forced fumble ... Voted ACC Linebacker of the Week twice ... Five games with 10+ tackles ... Served as SU’s defensive game captain a team-high four times (vs. Colgate, vs. Virginia Tech, vs. NC State, at Pittsburgh) ... Defensive captain and notched four tackles versus Colgate (9/2) ... Against Louisville (9/9), tallied six tackles and a forced fumble ... Eight tackles, including 0.5 for a loss, versus USF (9/17) ... At Connecticut (9/24), had a season-high 14 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss, and broke up a pass … Had a role in two of the game’s biggest plays, deflecting a Bryant Shirreffs’ pass that Cordell Hudson intercepted and returned for a 22-yard touchdown, and tackling Shirreffs short of the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line with SU holding a 24-17 lead in the fourth quarter ... Named ACC Linebacker of the Week for the performance ... Nine tackles, including 1.5 for a loss, one sack and an interception against Notre Dame (10/1) ... Tallied a sack for the second game in a row at Wake Forest (10/8) and finished with 10 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss, and one pass breakup against the Demon Deacons ... Defensive captain versus Virginia Tech (10/15) and logged 10 tackles, including one for a loss of two yards, to earn ACC Linebacker of the Week plaudits again ... Seven tackles, one quarterback pressure and one pass breakup at Boston College (10/22) ... Tied his season-best with 14 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss, at Clemson (11/5) ... Against NC State (11/12), carded 11 tackles, including one for a loss, as SU’s defensive captain ... Defensive captain for the season finale at Pittsburgh (11/26) and made five tackles.
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Sophomore Year (2015): Started all 12 games at middle linebacker … Voted the fourth sophomore captain in team history and first since Angelo Acocella in 1945 ... Led SU in tackles (81) and was second on the team in tackles for loss (11) ... Team’s leading tackler in four games (vs. Rhode Island, vs. Pittsburgh, at Florida State, vs. Boston College) ... Against Rhode Island (9/4), paced the defense with six solo tackles, including two for a loss, and one sack ... Had nine tackles and intercepted the first pass of his career, returning it 21 yards, versus Central Michigan (9/19) ... Season-high 11 tackles and posted career-high totals with three tackles for loss and two sacks against Pittsburgh (10/24) … Also forced a fumble against the Panthers ... Credited with a team-high nine tackles, including one for a loss, at Florida State (10/31) ... At Louisville (11/7), recorded six tackles and forced a fumble in the red zone that was recovered by Steven Clark ... Had eight tackles versus Clemson (11/14) ... Followed it up with eight more stops at NC State (11/21), including one for a loss, and a pass breakup ... Led the Orange with seven tackles, including two for a loss, against Boston College (11/28) … Member of the 2016 Spring SU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.
Freshman Year (2014): Appeared in all 12 games, including starting the final three games of the season … Led all Orange freshmen and finished sixth on the team with 44 tackles, including five for a loss, and two sacks ... Totaled three tackles at Wake Forest (10/18), including a season-best two for a loss, and his first career sack … Had six tackles and forced the first fumble of his career versus NC State (11/1) … Made his first career start and finished with six tackles versus Duke (11/8) … Recorded a season-high 10 tackles at Pittsburgh (11/22) … Named to the All-ACC Academic Team … ACC Honor Roll selection … Member of the SU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll both semesters.
High School: Played for head coach Drew Gordon … Named to the 2013 PIAA AAAA All-State Team … 2013 AAAA All-Catholic League First Team selection … Selected to play in the 2014 Big 33 Football Classic … Team captain.
Personal: Zaire Najee Franklin … Born in July 1996 in Philadelphia, Pa. … His aunt, Marla Burke, is his guardian … Three brothers, three sisters … Dual major in finance and marketing management.
Fran Brown Show
Thursday, September 04
Pete Sala, John Wildhack Football Season Opening Press Conference
Tuesday, September 02
Fran Brown Press Conference | UConn Week
Monday, September 01
Fran Brown Press Conference
Monday, September 01
