Orlando Franklin announces new foundation to help at-risk teens

Toronto couldn’t ask for a better ambassador than Scarborough native Orlando Franklin who grew up playing football in the local Thunder minor football organization, and ended up playing in his first Super Bowl earlier this month.

Asked at a Monday, Feb. 10, press conference at the Hard Rock Cafe in downtown Toronto about his relationship with the city he grew up in, the Denver Broncos offensive lineman said:

“I spend about four and a half months here in Toronto. I’m pretty much here every chance I can get ... It’s a place where I can see my childhood friends. I can get different types of food - it’s so diverse. I love it. It doesn’t matter if it’s cold or if it’s hot, I’m always looking forward to coming back to Toronto.”

Franklin also played a year of high school football at Scarborough’s Timothy Eaton, and Sir Robert L. Borden respetively before heading to the United States to further his athletic career.

Of course, coming back to Toronto as a now three-year NFL pro does carry its benefits with Franklin taking in the Feb. 8 Toronto Maple Leafs game at the Air Canada Centre.

“You try to support other athletes because you’ll see these guys around, different places you go,” he said, adding that back in Denver “I’ll go to about 12 to 15 (games) a year.”

He just missed being able to watch fellow Scarborough resident Chris Stewart who suited up for the Denver-based Colorado Avalanche but was traded the year before Franklin arrived.

Of course, that did work out well for Franklin.

“I bought my house from Chris Stewart,” he said.

Stewart also played football, and was a star running back in high school at West Hill Collegiate.

Asked what he thought about Mayor Rob Ford in a widely publicized photo wearing Franklin’s jersey, Franklin was diplomatic.

“Any support I can get from Toronto I’m happy. I would hope that he (Mayor Ford) would wear my jersey being that I am from Toronto and he is the mayor of Toronto and he knows that I’m from here.”

He was more enthusiastic when asked about his ‘Orlando Franklin Foundation’:

“It just really focuses on at-risk teens and helps them with their transition into adulthood,” said Franklin, who has been open about his own story as an ‘at-risk’ teen raised in a single-parent family.

In his case, he has credited his mother as being the key in helping turn his own life around. Now he’s just trying to return the favour where and when he can.
“I do a lot in group homes and stuff here in the Toronto area. I just try to let these kids know that pretty much if I was able to make it, then you guys can do exactly the same thing.

“It’s just how hard you’re willing to work and sacrifice. I try to sit down and talk to schools. I try to do stuff in the community, just anything I can really do just to really have a direct impact on young people’s lives and just help them as they get older.”

And finally, of course, there was the matter of the Super Bowl – which Denver lost 43-8 to the Seattle Seahawks. A shocking end to an otherwise outstanding season.

He hasn’t watched the replay. He doesn’t have to.

“I’ve personally probably seen that game about 100 times in my head. I wish I could have taken back about five plays in that game and I think if I’d played better on those five plays that the outcome of the game would be a little different.”

Franklin said he is already looking forward to next season with the Broncos, hoping he can stretch his playoff streak to all four years in the league.

“The good thing about it is, we’ve got a great team. I believe in my heart of hearts that if we come out and work the way we worked last year than we will back in that game (the Super Bowl).


(bramptonguardian.com)