More than 80 years after making his mark as a Husker, Sam Francis has been selected to the Nebraska Athletic Hall of Fame
Francis was a dominant figure as a member of Nebraska’s football and track and field teams from 1934 to 1937. As a fullback on the football field, Francis finished runner-up for the 1936 Heisman Trophy, earned consensus first-team All-American honors, and went on to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 1937 NFL Draft. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of fame in 1977 and had his No. 38 jersey retired by Nebraska in 2017.
Sam Francis finished fourth at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Just a few years later he would serve in the Army during World War II. Image courtesy of Nebraska Athletics.
On the track team, Francis was one of the top shot putters in the world while in Lincoln. The two-time All-American and four-time Big Six Conference champion in the event won the NCAA championship in 1937 after finishing fourth at the 1936 Olympics.
Francis had one of the best 11-month stretches for any athlete in Nebraska history from August 1936 to June 1937. During that span is when he finished fourth at the Olympics in Berlin, was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy to Yale’s Larry Kelley, was drafted No. 1 in the NFL draft to the Philadelphia Eagles, then won both the indoor and outdoor conference shot put titles before winning the NCAA title.
Both the football and track and field teams fared well with Francis on the team, winning a combined six conference titles over his three seasons with each sport. Football had its first-ever top-10 ranking, finishing at No. 9 in the 1936 AP poll. Track and field took eighth as a team at the 1936 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
After Nebraska, Francis played four years in the NFL for the Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Brooklyn Dodgers before pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Iowa. He served in the Army during World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. In 1947, Francis served as the head coach for Kansas State football. He compiled a record of 0-10 in his single season at the helm, with one of those losses coming 14-7 to Nebraska.
Sam Francis passed away on April 23, 2002, at the age of 88.
Speaking with NU Athletic Director Bill Moos, Francis’ grandson M.T. Francis said, “on behalf of Sam’s entire family, we appreciate the very gracious recognition. We cherish his legacy. To be able to represent him is a big deal to me and to my kids as well.”
Bill Moos 📞 M.T. Francis
Take a listen to the conversation between our AD and the grandson of @HuskerFBNation + @NUTrackandField legend, Sam Francis. ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/WsGUbw60Ik
— Nebraska Huskers (@Huskers) April 14, 2020
Francis joins Terry Pettit (Volleyball Head Coach 1977-99), Jordan Larson (Volleyball 2005-08), Amanda Burgoyne (Bowling 2004-07), and Maurtice Ivy (Women’s Basketball 1985-88) as selections to the 2020 Nebraska Athletic Hall of Fame Class.
The final student-athlete to join the class will be announced Wednesday.
(Featured Image courtesy of Nebraska Athletics)