Zaire Najee Franklin (born July 2, 1996) is an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

for the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

Syracuse Orange The Syracuse Orange are the college athletics in the United States, athletic teams that represent Syracuse University. The school is a member of NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Until 2013, Syracuse was a member of the Big East ...

College career

Franklin played

for the

from 2014 to 2017. While at Syracuse, Franklin recorded 311 career

tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position) A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...

over the course of 48 total games, starting the final 39 of his career. Franklin was a two-time All-

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the ACC's eighteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athlet ...

selection. Additionally, he was only the second three-time

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in Orange football history and the first since 1896.

Professional career

Franklin was selected by the

in the seventh round, 235th overall, of the

2018 NFL draft The 2018 NFL draft was the 83rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2018 NFL season. The draft was held on April 26–28 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington southwest of Dallas; it was ...

. The Colts previously obtained the pick used to select Franklin by trading Henry Anderson to the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

. Franklin made his NFL debut on September 9, 2018, against the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...

, recording one tackle on

special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their position. Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...

. He made his first career

start Start can refer to multiple topics: * Takeoff, the phase of flight where an aircraft transitions from moving along the ground to flying through the air * Starting lineup in sports * Track and field#Starts use in race, Starts use in sport race * S ...

on September 23 against the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

, notching one tackle on defense and another on special teams. In his rookie season, Franklin appeared in all 16 regular season games, starting two, and recorded 29 tackles and one pass defended. On September 8, 2020, Franklin was named one of the five team captains heading into the 2020 season. In the 2020 season, he appeared in 16 games and started two. On March 16, 2022, Franklin signed a three-year, $12 million contract extension with the Colts. In the 2022 season, Franklin had three sacks, 167 total tackles (102 solo), six passes defended, and two forced

fumble A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful h ...

s in 17 starts. In 2023, Franklin finished the season second in the league with a career-high 179 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and six passes defensed through 16 starts. Franklin was ranked 100th by his fellow players on the

NFL Top 100 Players of 2024 The ''NFL Top 100'' Players of 2024 is the fourteenth season in the '' NFL Top 100.'' It premiered on July 22, 2024, and concluded on August 2, 2024. Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill Tyreek Hill (born March 1, 1994) is an American ...

. On March 11, 2024, with Franklin beginning the last year of his contract, the Colts signed him to a three-year extension worth up to $31.3 million.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Postseason

Personal life

Franklin was the Colts nominee for the 2023

Walter Payton Man of the Year Award Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year is an award presented annually by the National Football League (NFL) honoring a player's commitment to philanthropy and community impact, as well as his excellence on the field. Prior to 1999, it was called si ...

for his charitable efforts in founding and leading Shelice's Angels. Shelice's Angels seeks "to open doors and provide resources that will help build self esteem while providing positive reinforcement in the lives of young women" and focuses specifically in the areas of technology, community giving, and academic achievement.

References

External links

Indianapolis Colts bioSyracuse Orange bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Franklin, Zaire 1996 births Living people Players of American football from Philadelphia American football linebackers Syracuse Orange football players Indianapolis Colts players American Conference Pro Bowl players