Joe Francis (American football)
Encyclopedia
Joseph Charles Alexander Francis (born April 21, 1936 in Honolulu, Hawaii
) is a former gridiron football
quarterback
.
in Honolulu, Hawaii
and starred in football
.
, where he played quarterback from 1954 to 1957 for Kip Taylor
and then for Tommy Prothro
. He led Oregon State to the 1957 Rose Bowl in his junior season, where they lost to Iowa
35-19. Francis had 207 yards of total offense
in the game.
Francis was name the team MVP for the 1956 and 1957 seasons.
by the Green Bay Packers
. Francis played two seasons in the National Football League
for the Packers as Bart Starr
's backup under the legendary Vince Lombardi
.
Francis also played two seasons in the Canadian Football League
with the Montreal Alouettes
from 1961-1962.
teacher and football coach
at Pearl City High School
. He retired in 2001.
Francis has three sons from his first wife and three sons and a daughter from his second wife, Kuulei. He is currently married to Rolenda Ku'ulei Alama-Francis and has three sons(Joseph "Aina" Jr., Kaohe, and Ikaika) and daughter (Makana) with her.
Joe's son Jon Francis
, played running back
for the Los Angeles Rams
.
Ikaika Alama-Francis
, Joe's youngest son, was a defensive end for the University of Hawai'i and graduated in 2006. Ikaika was drafted in 2007 as a defensive end
by the Detroit Lions
and is currently a linebacker
for the Miami Dolphins
.
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
) is a former gridiron football
Gridiron football
Gridiron football , sometimes known as North American football, is an umbrella term for related codes of football primarily played in the United States and Canada. The predominant forms of gridiron football are American football and Canadian football...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
.
High school career
Francis attended Kamehameha SchoolsKamehameha Schools
Kamehameha Schools , formerly called Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate , is a private co-educational college-preparatory institution that specializes in Native Hawaiian language and cultural education. It is located in Hawaii and operates three campuses: Kapālama , Pukalani , and Keaau...
in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
and starred in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
.
College career
Francis attended Oregon StateOregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
, where he played quarterback from 1954 to 1957 for Kip Taylor
Kip Taylor
-External links:...
and then for Tommy Prothro
Tommy Prothro
James Thompson "Tommy" Prothro, Jr. was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Oregon State University from 1955 to 1964 and at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1965 to 1970, compiling a career college football record of 104–55–5...
. He led Oregon State to the 1957 Rose Bowl in his junior season, where they lost to Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes
The Iowa Hawkeyes are the athletics teams that represent the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. The Hawkeyes have varsity teams in 24 sports, 11 for men and 13 for women. The teams participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and are members of the...
35-19. Francis had 207 yards of total offense
Total offense
Total offense is an American football and Canadian football statistic representing the total number of yards rushing and yards passing by a team or player...
in the game.
Francis was name the team MVP for the 1956 and 1957 seasons.
Professional career
Francis was drafted in the fifth round of the 1953 NFL Draft1953 NFL Draft
The 1953 National Football League Draft was held on January 22, 1953.-Player selections:-Round one:* HOF Member of the Professional Football Hall of Fame-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:...
by the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. Francis played two seasons in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Packers as Bart Starr
Bart Starr
Bryan Bartlett "Bart" Starr is a former professional American football player and coach. Wearing #15, he was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers from 1956 to 1971 and head coach from 1975 to 1983, compiling a record of 52–76–3 ....
's backup under the legendary Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
.
Francis also played two seasons in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
with the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
from 1961-1962.
Personal life
Upon retiring from the NFL, Francis returned to Hawaii to become a Physical EducationPhysical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
teacher and football coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
at Pearl City High School
Pearl City High School (Hawaii)
-Basic Information:Pearl City High School And Pearl Grammar School - Taunsa Campus is located in the Waimalu CDP in the City and County of Honolulu in the state of Hawai'i, adjacent to the Pearl City CDP....
. He retired in 2001.
Francis has three sons from his first wife and three sons and a daughter from his second wife, Kuulei. He is currently married to Rolenda Ku'ulei Alama-Francis and has three sons(Joseph "Aina" Jr., Kaohe, and Ikaika) and daughter (Makana) with her.
Joe's son Jon Francis
Jon Francis
Jon Charles Naekauna Francis is former American football player. He is the son of former Green Bay Packer, Joe Francis, and brother of one of the Detroit Lion's 2007 second round draft pick, Ikaika Alama-Francis....
, played running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
.
Ikaika Alama-Francis
Ikaika Alama-Francis
Ikaika Alama-Francis is an American football outside linebacker for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
, Joe's youngest son, was a defensive end for the University of Hawai'i and graduated in 2006. Ikaika was drafted in 2007 as a defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
by the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
and is currently a linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.