Bobby Ray Franklin, who played seven seasons with the Browns from 1960-1966, died May 13 at the age of 88.
Franklin is preceded in death by his parents, Nolan and Mottie Franklin, sister Wanda Park and brother Wallace Franklin. He is survived by his wife of 53 years JoAn Franklin, daughter Ashley Franklin, son Bobby Ray Franklin Jr. (Jennifer), sister Peggy Jenner and brother Larry Franklin.
Franklin was born in 1936 in Clarksdale, Miss., and played college football at Ole Miss on a football scholarship. He played for three years as a quarterback and defensive back, earning honors such as 1958 Gator Bowl MVP and 1960 Sugar Bowl MVP. In 1959, the Ole Miss Rebels were declared national champions by multiple selection committees.
Franklin was then drafted by the Browns as a defensive back in the 11th round of the 1960 NFL Draft and played six seasons with the Browns. Franklin led the Browns with eight interceptions in 1960, finishing fourth in the league. In 1961, Franklin began to also be utilized as a kickoff specialist alongside his role as a defensive back.
In 1962 he was called to Army National Guard active duty, missing half of the 1962 season. Franklin was a member of the 1964 Browns team that defeated the Baltimore Colts in the NFL Championship Game and retired after the 1966 season.
He later joined Georgia Tech as an assistant coach for the 1967 season before becoming the defensive backfield coach for the Dallas Cowboys from 1968-1972. He coached in Super Bowl V and Super Bowl VI, marking the Cowboy's first Super Bowl victory. In 1973, Franklin served as the Baltimore Colts defensive backs coach and was a scout for the Seattle Seahawks from 1980 to 1985.
Franklin also coached at the collegiate level, where he was the offensive coordinator at Northwest Mississippi Community College in 1979 before being promoted to head coach in 1981. He served in that role for 24 years and led the team to two NJCAA National Championships in the 1982 and 1992 seasons. They were National Championship runners-up in the 1991 season, and Franklin totaled 201 wins before retiring in 2004.
Franklin has been honored in seven Halls of Fame for the strength of a successful and long-running career. In 1988, he was inducted into the Ole Miss M Club Hall of Fame. In 2003, he was named to the Northwest Mississippi Community College Hall of Fame. In 2005, he was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum Fame and in 200, the Mississippi Community College Sports Hall of Fame. In 2010, was named to the Mississippi Community College Sports Hall of Fame, and in 2013, the Clarksdale/Coahoma County Sports Hall of Fame.
