Russ Francis

Russell Ross Francis (born April 3, 1953), is a retired American football player, a tight end for thirteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers.

Russ Francis
No. 81
Position:Tight end
Personal information
Born: (1953-04-03) April 3, 1953
Seattle, Washington
Height:6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:242 lb (110 kg)
Career information
High school:Pleasant Hill (OR)
College:Oregon
NFL Draft:1975 / Round: 1 / Pick: 16
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:167
Receptions:393
Receiving yards:5,262
Touchdowns:40
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Francis finished his NFL career with 393 receptions for 5,262 yards and 40 touchdowns. He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.

Early life

Francis began high school at Kailua High School on Oahu, Hawaii, and finished at Pleasant Hill High School in Oregon, southeast of Eugene.[1] He set the national high school record for the javelin as a senior in 1971 at 259 ft 9 in (79.17 m); the record stood until 1988.[2] Francis was also a decathlete for Pleasant Hill.

At the University of Oregon in Eugene, 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Francis threw the javelin and played only 14 games of varsity football for the Ducks. Injured after three games as a sophomore in 1972, he played in 1973,[3] but sat out his senior season in 1974.[4]

He enrolled at rival Oregon State University in Corvallis in order to expire his collegiate eligibility and be eligible for the 1975 NFL Draft.[5] Briefly a pro wrestler,[6] he trained for the Superstars competition and was selected in the first round by the New England Patriots, the 16th overall pick and signed in May.[7]

NFL career

New England Patriots (1975–1980)

During the Patriots 30–27 win in 1976 over the two-time defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers on September 26, Francis caught a 38-yard touchdown pass from Steve Grogan on fourth and one. In that same game, Francis had a career-best 139 yards receiving.[8] As a result, Howard Cosell proclaimed him as the "All-World Tight End."

In 1980, Francis caught a 23-yard pass from Harold Jackson, on a wide receiver reverse option play, in the Patriots 34–21 win over the New York Jets on November 2. He caught a 12-yard pass from WR Harold Jackson, on the same wide receiver reverse option play, in the Pats' 16–13 overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football on December 8.

In 1978, Francis had a career-longest 53-yard reception and 126 yards receiving in the Patriots 21–14 win over the Oakland Raiders at the Oakland Coliseum on September 24. That season, he led the Patriots in receptions with 39 catches for 543 yards.

Francis was a Pro Bowl selection for three consecutive seasons (1977–1979).

Following the 1980 season, Francis retired from professional football.[9] Two things that Francis has said contributed greatly to this decision were, one, when the Patriots refused to give him his promised bonus for making the Pro Bowl (because his injury from a motorcycle accident kept him out of the game); and, secondly, when his roommate, Darryl Stingley, was paralyzed by a Jack Tatum hit in August 1978,[10] the Patriots tried to cancel Stingley's medical insurance. Francis was the first teammate at Stingley's side immediately after the hit, and he has said it was tough to play after that.[11]

Francis was traded to the defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers for a draft pick that the Patriots used to select future Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett.

San Francisco 49ers (1982–1987)

After leaving the Patriots, Francis got a job with ABC Sports. While in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl, Francis interviewed Bill Walsh, the 49ers head coach. Walsh told him this was the only time in his life he would be able to play football, and that he would never get these years back and should not turn his back on this chance. Francis came out of retirement, after sitting out the 1981 season, joined the 49ers and eventually won a Super Bowl ring as a member of the 1984 49ers.[11] Francis played a key role in San Francisco's win over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX (5 catches for 60 yards). In 1985, Francis had a career-high 44 receptions.

New England Patriots (1987–1988)

After being waived by the 49ers during the 1987 season, Francis signed with his old team, the Patriots, before the season's final game.[12] His second tenure in New England was less successful than his first, however, and he played just one more season. Francis spent 1989 injured before being waived[13] and retiring.

Superstars, Professional wrestling career; retirement

Francis qualified for The Superstars final and the World Superstars in 1980 and 1981, finishing second in the 1980 final and fourth in 1981. He won the football preliminary in 1981 and set a record of 23.91 seconds in the 50-yard (46 m) swimming event. The record stood until 1986, when it was broken by Greg Louganis.[14]

Francis appeared in a 20-man battle royal at WrestleMania 2 along with other NFL stars. He is the son of wrestling promoter Ed Francis, He briefly competed full-time in the American Wrestling Association after retiring from football. He also competed in the National Wrestling Alliance's NWA Hawaii where he held the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship one time with his older brother, Billy Roy Francis.[15]

After retiring, he hosted The Russ Francis Show from 8 am to noon on 107.7 WTPL "The Pulse", out of Concord, New Hampshire, and later he hosted Forever West Outdoors from 4 to 6 pm on 1400 AM KODI, out of Cody, Wyoming. In 2015, he was inducted into the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame as a contributor.

Championships and accomplishments

Politics

In 2000 Francis challenged long-time Democratic incumbent, Patsy Mink for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district. Running as a Republican, Francis was defeated, winning 35.97% of the vote to Mink's 61.59%.

References
  1. "Russ Francis – Football". Oregon Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on March 1, 2012. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
  2. "Lists: High School: All-Time: Men". Track and Field News. November 15, 2005. Archived from the original on February 17, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
  3. Newnham, Blaine (January 25, 1974). "Russ has a choice". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1D.
  4. Conrad, John (October 16, 1993). "Francis comes full circle in return to Eugene". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 4D.
  5. "Sneaky Russ Francis has chance to play in pros". Tuscaloosa News. (Alabama). Associated Press. January 26, 1975. p. 12B.
  6. Cawood, Neil (December 4, 1974). "Russ resurfaces". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1B.
  7. "Francis the wrestler signs with Patriots". Lewiston Evening Journal. (Maine). Associated Press. May 16, 1975. p. 22.
  8. "Francis hexes Steelers". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. September 27, 1976. p. 2C.
  9. Tosches, Rick (January 18, 1982). "Russ Francis: no regrets about early retirement". Bend Bulletin. (Oregon). UPI. p. D1.
  10. "Stingley has some feeling after surgery". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. August 14, 1978. p. 4C.
  11. starbulletin.com
  12. "Sports People; Francis Rejoins Patriots". The New York Times. December 24, 1987. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
  13. "SPORTS PEOPLE: PRO FOOTBALL; Morgan Out for Season". The New York Times. November 17, 1989. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
  14. "The Superstars". The Superstars. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
  15. "NWA Hawaiian Tag Team Title History". Solie's Wrestling Titles. Retrieved April 25, 2009.

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