Scarborough's Franklin spent season protecting Broncos quarterback Tebow.
Denver Broncos Orlando Franklin (74) battles at the line scrimmage against the New York Jets during NFL action at Sports Authority Field in Denver, Colorado. Franklin played both club and high school football in Scarborough.
Photo/ERIC LARS BAKKE
Think of the Denver Broncos and most casual football fans - and many non-fans - would certainly now recognize the name Tim Tebow, the self described rookie Christian quarterback.
But another rookie who grew up playing both high school and club football in Scarborough also opened some eyes.
Afterall, Orlando Franklin, who played eight years with the Scarborough Thunder football organization, was only the second rookie in Broncos history ever to start the season at right tackle and only the eighth rookie to crack the offensive line.
He went on to start every regular season and playoff game, including the 45-10 playoff loss last Saturday, Jan. 14 to the New England Patriots which ended the Broncos highly-publicized storybook season.
It was Franklin - drafted 46th overall in the second round - who nominated one of his youth coaches from Scarborough last fall for NFL Canada's youth coach of the year award. Franklin's mentor - volunteer coach Roberto "Bubba" Allen - eventually finished runner-up out of the hundreds of entries, earning the Scarborough organization $2,000 for equipment.
"Once an inner-city kid himself, Bubba has coached an incredible 34 squads (16 fall seasons and 11 summer seasons)," stated Franklin in his nomination submission. "He and the association gave me and so many other kids a chance to play when we could not afford it."
Franklin spent two years in high school football in Scarborough - attending the now closed Timothy Eaton Business and Technical Institute and then on to Sir Robert L. Borden Collegiate - before heading to prep school in the U.S.
Franklin told the Denver Post he spent one year of organized hockey as a 14-year-old before deciding to concentrate on football.