King remembers the “uncomfortable conversation” vividly. Franklin and his mother sat in King’s office. Franklin wanted to move to the defensive line, a position King knows better than anyone. King played defensive line at Alabama, finishing his career with experience at all three positions. And for Franklin to be successful, he had to choose violence, King said. He had to attack, to be quick, to be conditioned.
“His challenge is to show me that he could do it,” King said.
Franklin’s mother’s response was simple.
“(Franklin’s) mom looked at him and said, ‘Coach don’t believe you can do it,’” King said. “‘You’re going to make him eat his words.’”
Growing into a 6-foot-6, 265-pound monster off the edge, Franklin had 98 tackles, 23 tackles-for-loss, 11 sacks and a forced fumble in his first season as a starter, per 247Sports. He was large, but nimble, able to run to the ball, knock piles back and secure sacks.