Truman State freshman cornerback James Franklin III was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday following a historic two-touchdown performance on Saturday against Lincoln. He took two interceptions to the end zone in rapid succession at Stokes Stadium.
Franklin earned his first career league honor by becoming the first player in Truman football history, according to available records, to return two interceptions for touchdowns in a single game. The Chicago native accounted for 14 points in just 60 seconds during Saturday’s 48-3 rout of Lincoln, scoring on a 37-yard runback with 7:08 left in the second quarter and following it a minute later with a 39-yard pick-six.
The business administration major finished the contest with three solo tackles and 76 return yards, providing a third of the Bulldogs’ six total touchdowns on the afternoon.
Franklin’s selection marks the second consecutive week a Truman cornerback has claimed the GLVC Defensive Player of the Week nod. Junior DJ Richmond earned the accolade Oct. 26 after a school-record-tying 98-yard interception return against Southwest Baptist.
Until this week and last, Truman had not had a player earn the honor since Ulysses Ross in 2023.
Behind Franklin’s breakout milestone, Truman (5-4, 5-1 GLVC) remains tied atop the conference standings heading into Saturday’s 3 p.m. road matchup at William Jewell.
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