Hurricanes Tight End Is A Quarterback's 'Dream'
Nov. 10, 1999
By MARK LONG
Associated Press Writer
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — The toughest part of Miami Hurricanes practice has nothing to do with running sprints or doing sit-ups.
It’s having to tackle tight end Bubba Franks.
It’s a dubious honor that few players — if any — would voluntarily undertake.
Franks, a 6-foot-6, 260-pound junior from Big Spring, Texas, is Miami’s second-leading receiver with 30 catches for 364 yards and four touchdowns.
The 19th-ranked Hurricanes expect Franks to play a major role Saturday against No. 2 Virginia Tech.
“He’s a big target, a quarterback’s dream,” Miami quarterback Kenny Kelly said. “We try to base our offensive game plan around getting him the ball. And when we do, good things seem to happen.”
Especially lately.
Franks has 15 receptions for 232 yards in Miami’s past three games — all wins. He also has scored a touchdown in each outing.
He was Kelly’s favorite target in a come-from-behind win over Boston College on Oct. 23. Franks caught six passes for 78 yards, including the game-tying touchdown pass.
The following week, West Virginia double-teamed Franks in the first half, using a linebacker and a safety to slow him down. It worked for a while.
Franks was held without a catch in the until the third quarter. Then he had five for 74 yards, including a one-handed stab.
“He’s playing so solidly and so consistently,” coach Butch Davis said. “He’s blocking extraordinarily well and he’s making extremely difficult catches with guys draped all over him. Obviously, when you start catching balls with success, defenses start paying attention to you.”
So does the NFL.
Daniel Franks — nicknamed Bubba because that’s what he called his bottle as a toddler — is a projected first-round draft pick if he leaves college after his junior year. Before the season, Sports Illustrated dubbed him one of 10 players the NFL wants now.
Franks said he often talks to former Miami tailback and Indianapolis Colts rookie Edgerrin James about playing in the NFL. He doesn’t plan to make a decision about his future until January.
“It’s always in your mind, it’s something to think about,” Franks said. “But you can’t think about it too much or it’ll affect your performance. That’s something I’m going to look at the end of the season and go from there. I can’t really make a decision now because we’re still playing football.”
As for NFL comparisons?
“I’d like to compare Bubba to someone in the NFL, but I’m not sure there’s a tight end with his tenaciousness and versatility,” said tight ends coach Rob Chudzinski.
Franks attributes his versatility to the basketball court.
His teammates said it’s not unusual for Franks to want to lead a fast break or pull up and shoot a 3-pointer during a pickup game.
“He’s 6-foot-6 but he thinks he’s a point guard,” safety Al Blades said. “We always tell him, ‘Bubba, get inside, get in the lane.’ He’s too big to be outside.”
Taking a charge from Franks in the lane, though, might be less painful than tackling him on the football field.
“Just looking at him, you know he’s big,” Blades said. “But when you run up on him on the field, you know his true size.”
