KALAMAZOO, MI - Between graduation and the NFL Draft, the final weekend in April provided a whirlwind 48 hours for Western Michigan senior running back Jarvion Franklin.
On Friday, Franklin drove to his native Chicago for a graduation/draft watch party, then made the 145-mile trip back to Kalamazoo Saturday to receive his diploma.
A post-graduation party in Battle Creek with his girlfriend and her family occupied his Saturday night, but not to the point that he couldn't take a long-awaited call from the Pittsburgh Steelers letting Franklin know they wanted to sign him as an undrafted free agent.