Dominique Franks Interview

Cornerback – Oklahoma

By: Alex Khvatov

3/2/10

Alex Khvatov: What were your expectations from a team and personal standpoint coming into your junior season?

Dominique Franks: Our goal was to get back to the National Championship Game. We wanted to win out the Big 12. From a personal standpoint, I just wanted to be able to help our team win. It is not an individual sport. I wanted to give us the best chance to win.


Alex Khvatov: The Sooners had a few more losses this season than we are accustomed to, how difficult was this season for you?

Dominique Franks: We looked at it a different way. We had a lot of injuries. We were able to react to it and still have a winning season. I also experienced our first bowl victory at Oklahoma . We came together as a team. It was a down year by our standards, but we still had a good year. QB Landry Jones stepped in and played well. We took steps forward this season instead of taking step backwards.


Alex Khvatov: How tough was it to lose QB Sam Bradford?

Dominique Franks: Sam and I are close outside of school. I went to middle school with him. He won the Heisman trophy last year. It was tough to see your friend go down for the season. It was more of a personal thing to me. I took it a lot harder than that. I lost my friend. It hurt me more. I know how hard he prepared his body. It hurt us as a team. You can’t replace Sam Bradford. But we rallied around Landry Jones. We told him to just play his game and we will rally behind you. We win together as a team. We had to move forward and not dwell on it too much.


Alex Khvatov: Why did you decide to enter the NFL Draft after your junior season?

Dominique Franks: Really after the Bowl game, I sat down with my uncle and my mother. It was kind of the best choice for me. I looked at it that way. I made the best decision for myself. It has been my dream. I have grown, so I could have a chance to play NFL football. I got a third round grade back from the NFL Advisory Committee. If I get selected in the third round, I would be fine with it. I have to do well at the Combine and my Pro Day. It is something that I can control.


Alex Khvatov: Do you feel that you are second best CB in this class?

Dominique Franks: I just have to perform in front of the NFL coaches and show them what I can do. It all depends on what an NFL team wants. I don’t pay attention to the rankings. I just have to compete. I am going to work hard. I want to be the best. Joe Haden might be the number one guy at this point, but not many people thought that Heyward–Bey would go ahead of Michael Crabtree last year. I am also shooting for the first corner prize. It could happen.


Alex Khvatov: What are your measurements (height, weight and forty time)?

Dominique Franks: 6’0”, I weighed in at 193 pounds and I run a low 4.4.


Alex Khvatov: Coming out of high school, what programs showed interest in you besides Oklahoma ?

Dominique Franks: University of Miami, Tennessee, Arizona, Arizona State and all of the Big 12 schools.


Alex Khvatov: Why did you choose Oklahoma ?

Dominique Franks: My real father passed away my senior year, and my stepfather passed away my freshman year of high school. I made up my mind early that I wanted to stay closer to home. If anything ever happened, I could come back and be there for my family. I am from the Oklahoma area. Oklahoma is a great team. I decided that I would be a Sooner.


Alex Khvatov: What are your strengths on the football field?

Dominique Franks: My ability to read and diagnose plays. I know where receivers will line up. I anticipate routes and make a lot of plays. I am able to jump routes. I press at the line and do a good job with my size.


Alex Khvatov: What areas of your game do you need to improve upon?

Dominique Franks: My technique is the number one thing. You have to have great technique at the next level. That is my main focus right now. I work on that everyday. Darrelle Revis, Champ Bailey and Leon Hall have great technique. Receivers are bigger and faster in the NFL. They will try to outsmart you.


Alex Khvatov: What are you going to miss the most about being a Sooner?

Dominique Franks: I will miss everything about it. I will miss being around the guys. It is hard to explain and put into words. I will miss all of the guys. We were always around each other. I will miss team unity.


Alex Khvatov: What is the most memorable moment of your football career?

Dominique Franks: My first one has to be beating Stanford in the Sun Bowl this year. It was the first bowl win that I experienced in my career here at Oklahoma . I also remember the Texas Tech game two years ago. All of our fans were singing and jumping around. I will never forget that energy in the air and that whole atmosphere.


Alex Khvatov: Describe your teammate DT Gerald McCoy.

Dominique Franks: He is one of those friends that every parent wants you to hang around with. He is all about excellence. He sets a perfect example for everyone. He is a great player on the field and he is a great person off-the-field. It comes from his parents. He knows how to carry himself on and off-the-field. I am telling you the truth. He is a great guy to be around. He also knows when it is time to get serious. He will do whatever a coach needs him to do. From day one, he will be a leader in the NFL. He will have an impact.


Alex Khvatov: Describe QB Sam Bradford.

Dominique Franks: Sam is the same way like Gerald McCoy. I was watching the Super Bowl and looking at Peyton Manning, I saw a lot of Sam in him. He is the same way. He knows coverages. He is another friend that your parents want you to be around. He is a great man. He strives for excellence. I have nothing bad to say about those two guys. They are great role models.


Alex Khvatov: Who is your favorite NFL player?

Dominique Franks: My favorite NFL players would have to be Nnamdi Asomugha and Darrelle Revis. Those two guys shut down their side of the field. They are able to shutdown NFL receivers. I also like watching Robert Meachem, Curtis Lofton, Adrian Peterson, Larry Fitzgerald and Reggie Bush.


Alex Khvatov: Which underclassmen on your team should we keep an eye on in the future?

Dominique Franks: I will give you a number of players. WR Dejuan Miller, WR Ryan Broyles, RB Jermie Calhoun, DE Frank Alexander, DT Jamarkus McFarland, LB Travis Lewis, LB Tom Wort, CB Demontre Hurst and CB Gabe Lynn.


Alex Khvatov: What do you bring to the table that other cornerbacks don’t?

Dominique Franks: I know that I am going to play hard. I will be a sponge. I will do whatever they say. It is all about the team. I watch a lot of film.


Alex Khvatov: If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be and why?

Dominique Franks: Two people. I want to have dinner with my father and my stepfather. It has been really hard not having them around. I would like to hear their voice. I know that they are looking down on me. I would love to have dinner with those guys.


Alex Khvatov: What makes you unique?

Dominique Franks: I think just the things that I have been through in my life. I have been through a lot in my life. A lot of people grew up harder than me but they took the wrong path. I have been through tragedy in my life, but I have kept on the right path. I will keep working hard. You can do whatever you want to do in life. I have been faced with so much adversity, but I have kept on going.


Alex Khvatov: What are your hobbies?

Dominique Franks: Man, I just hang out with my family. The campus is only about twenty minutes from my home. I go back as much as I can. My grandmothers, aunts, uncles and cousins are so close. We are like best friends. We hang out and reminisce about the good times.


Alex Khvatov: Do you think that juniors should be allowed to play in All-Star Games?

Dominique Franks: I don’t think that it would hurt. I don’t make the decisions. It would have been great to participate at the Senior Bowl. I would have liked to have seen the best WR’s and DB’s up close. It would have been great to go one on one against the best guys.


Alex Khvatov: How are you preparing for the Combine?

Dominique Franks: I am training in Los Angeles , CA . We are doing a lot of things in terms of technique. We are getting taught proper balance and how to prevent injuries. It is a great place for me.


Alex Khvatov: Did you ever think that you would have a chance to play in the NFL when you were growing up?

Dominique Franks: To be honest, no. The dream has not hit me until I was training for the NFL Combine. It is now starting to become a reality.


Alex Khvatov: Finish the sentence, Dominique Franks is…

Dominique Franks: A strong individual. I fight through adversity whenever I am faced with it.