Solid cornerstone

MOSCOW, Idaho – University of Idaho football coach Dennis Erickson faced a difficult decision before the start of spring football. He knew the team he had inherited was short on proven cornerbacks and playmaking receivers.

Junior college transfer Stanley Franks was a potential solution at both positions.

“In off-season conditioning he showed that he had really good feet and we made a decision to play him at corner,” Erickson said. “We needed some help drastically there. As it’s turned out, it’s been a good move for both him and the program.”

Not that Erickson hasn’t had second thoughts about sending Franks and his 4.31-second 40-meter speed on a post route or flipping a screen pass to him with some room to operate. Coaching discretion soon follows.

“I’m tempted to practice him over there and see what he’d be like,” Erickson said. “This off-season we’ll see. This spring we might play him in both spots.”

For now, Franks is a full-time cornerback and that probably won’t change – tomorrow, this spring, next season and beyond, if he gets a shot at the professional level. He’s intercepted four passes in five games, which ranks tied for sixth nationally. He’s played every defensive snap of every game.

He excels at cornerback, partly because of his background as a receiver in junior college and for portions of his career at Downey (Calif.) High. He had 62 receptions, eight for touchdowns, as a sophomore at Long Beach City College.

“Sometimes you find yourself thinking, ‘What would a receiver do?’ Franks said. “It helps just recognizing route combinations and different stuff like that. It actually helps a lot.”

Franks has thought about trying receiver, but he’s refrained from dropping hints to coaches during practice. He enjoys the defensive side of the ball and he still gets to display his running skills as Idaho’s primary kick returner.

“I’m cool with it,” the junior cornerback said. “I’m on kick return and that plays a role. I’ve thought about it, but I’m a pretty aggressive person. I like coming up and hitting people.”

But that’s only when the football isn’t within reach. Franks made a game-changing play Saturday against Utah State, intercepting a pass and returning it 98 yards for a touchdown that propelled Idaho to a 41-21 win. Franks and the rest of Idaho’s defense face a stiffer challenge Saturday when New Mexico State brings its pass-first offense to the Kibbie Dome.

There are several reasons Franks is a Vandal. One, his dad, Stanley, who played at Compton College, began teaching him football at an early age. Two, his mother made him tackle his homework as a youngster. Three, Division I-A coaches didn’t think Franks was big enough.

It was during his sophomore season at Downey when Emma Adams convinced her son of the importance of education. Franks was a starter and he’d let his school work slide. He admits to a swollen ego.

“You know how that goes,” Franks said, smiling at the memory. “I brought home a ‘D’ and I just remember that talk. I said to myself, ‘Well, I’m playing football and everything and she won’t make me quit.’

“She let me know real quick that didn’t mean anything. I had to get the grade up and I had two weeks to do it.”

Franks did so and went on to earn first-team all-conference honors – on both sides of the ball – but that resulted in limited recruiting interest. He was recruited by then-Idaho State assistant coach Johnny Nansen, who is now the linebackers coach at Idaho. Hawaii and Portland State also showed interest.

Franks chose Long Beach City College, where despite sizable statistics his smaller frame (he was 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds) left him with roughly the same post-high school recruiting list. Washington State took a brief look at him, but opted to sign Franks’ Long Beach teammate, Brian Williams.

“They won’t tell you up front, but when you go back and ask the coach what happened, it (size) was one of the major issues,” said Franks, who had to play an extra season of flag football when he was in grade school because he didn’t meet the 98-pound limit for Pop Warner.

Franks is listed at 167 pounds in Idaho’s media guide, but insists he’s 185.

“I’ve put on 10 pounds since I’ve been here, drinking (protein) shakes and eating right,” he said. “I’m trying to get in five meals a day.”

And an occasional interception for dessert.