Visions with Johnathan Franklin

Johnathan Franklin has seen this before.
“I am taking the handoff right. I am veering back left. There is a hole. I am running through the hole. There is no one near me. Nothing ahead but the end zone. I have just scored.”
The scene has replayed in his mind.
The setting never changes: Franklin always dreams of his first carry, at the Rose Bowl, his first touchdown.
“Man, it’s something I have visualized, something I have dreamed of since the first time I got here,” Franklin said. “First carry, to get into the end zone, you can’t ask for anything better.”
Franklin was quick to credit a rebuilt offensive line, which features four first-year UCLA players in the six-man rotation.
“We have linemen this year who really love the game of football, rather than linemen who just are out there to be out there,” Franklin said. “We have linemen who are hungry. We have linemen who are aggressive. I’m very pleased with the line.”
The line was very please with him as well.
The cornerstone of a good offense is a good running game, and the cornerstone of a good running game is the ability to get into the end zone, and UCLA knows that.
That’s why the linemen wanted to pound the ball in. That’s why Bruin running backs take it to the house on every practice carry. That’s why they practice their celebrations after every big practice play.
“You’re always training your muscles, conditioning them,” Franklin said. “You put in the mindset that you’re going to keep going, regardless. You never stop your feet. You visualize getting into the end zone every play. You know you’re not going to break a home run every day. But you keep running, oh yeah.”