Sam Francis Going Into NU’s Athletic Hall of Fame

Sam Francis, a two-sport star for the Huskers in the 1930s, has been announced as the fifth member of this year’s class going into the Nebraska Athletic Hall of Fame. 

The late Francis was a decorated member of NU’s football and track and field teams. On the gridiron, the fullback was the 1936 Heisman Trophy runner-up, a consensus first-team All-American and the number one overall pick in the 1937 NFL draft.  He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1977 and his number 38 jersey was retired by Nebraska in 2017.

Francis was also one of the top shot putters in the world. He finished fourth in the event at the 1936 Olympics and was the NCAA shot put champion in 1937.

Francis died in 2002 at age 88.