Steelers Snapshot: RB Jarvion Franklin

I am surprised he went undrafted

We'll excuse Jarvion Franklin for being tired.

After finishing up a spring practice with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the undrafted rookie running back out of Western Michigan went deep into a post-practice workout with Fitzgerald Toussaint, who was once an undrafted rookie running back himself out of Michigan. Toussaint was now teaching the rookie from the smaller school how to take his job.

"He doesn't have to do this at all," said Franklin. "He could've just let me struggle. But I'm blessed that he sees something in me."

It may have become the rich veteran's way, if we are to believe that players such as James Harrison, Le'Veon Bell, Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown did not/do not help the younger players much, but it's still considered "The Steelers Way" to help the young guys at your position.

However, Toussaint wasn't only staying these 30 minutes after school to show the rookie the ropes. He was setting up workouts with him for these current five weeks away from the field.

"He lives in the Detroit area and I told him I'll be around Kalamazoo, so he asked me where I work out," Franklin said. "I told him Planet Fitness and he said, 'What?! C'mon, man,' and he invited me over to his house to get some work in so I can stay in shape."

The Steelers Way, old-school style.

Toussaint has spent the last three seasons finding his place on the Steelers' roster by competing against backs such as Franklin for the third and fourth places on the depth chart. Toussaint fended off those young backs, but none had the kind of resume Franklin produced at Western Michigan.

Franklin went to WMU out of the Chicago area, Tinley Park's Andrews High School, as a three-star recruit who looked more like a five-star in rushing for 163 yards in his debut against Purdue. Franklin finished that freshman season as the first-ever MAC Rookie of the Year AND Offensive Player of the Year.

By the time he was done,

Franklin was first in school rushing, second in school scoring, played in four consecutive bowl games, was fifth all-time in MAC rushing, and at one point had six consecutive 100-yard games.

His 4,867 rushing yards are less than 100 behind MAC all-time No. 3, Kareem Hunt, the Toledo running back who as a rookie led the NFL in rushing last season and made the Pro Bowl.

Hunt measured 5-10 1/2, 216 and ran a 4.62 at his NFL Combine (4.60 pro day) and was a third-round draft pick.

Franklin measured 5-11 1/2, 232 and ran 4.63 at his Combine (between 4.45-4.53 pro day) and went undrafted.

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