For the unfamiliar, the Netflix documentary Last Chance U follows football players at East Mississippi Community College as they try to resuscitate their collegiate careers at the junior college level. Now, one of the focal characters from the show’s first season has finally broken through: On Saturday, John Franklin III signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent.
Portrayed as a talented but inconsistent player, Franklin was the backup quarterback to Wyatt Roberts in his time with EMCC. He didn’t play often, but showed enough, particularly in the final game (and episode) of the season to get a Division I offer from Auburn.
Since then, Franklin has transferred schools once more to join Florida Atlantic University in addition to converting to the wide receiver position. Notably, the former track star posted an (unofficial) 40-yard dash time of 4.19 seconds, which would’ve set a combine record.
For viewers of the documentary, Franklin’s come-up story -- even though he went undrafted, even though his NFL career is still no sure thing -- will be sure to resonate as a success story. Through Last Chance U, people were able to see the circumstances that come with nearly dropping out of the Division I level for good, and to be able to turn it around and make the NFL from that point is a feat that can really hit home.
So far, nobody else from either of the Last Chance U seasons has generated much NFL buzz, but hey, even if the final tally is just one alum in the league, that’s still pretty impressive. After two seasons at East Mississippi, the show will follow the 2017 football season of Independence Community College in Kansas for its third season expected to release this summer.
