Green Bay — The laughter, all season long, was contagious. In a polo and khakis, Johnathan Franklin would approach old running mate Eddie Lacy, give him a dap and the two would immediately trade inside jokes.
Lacy's scratchy chuckle synchronized with Franklin's energetic storytelling lit up the Green Bay Packers locker room.
Of course, one player was the starting running back and the other now a public relations intern. One year ago this off-season, Franklin was forced to retire at the age of 24 due to a bruise at his C1/C2 vertebrae.
Here, teammates never detected any sadness.