Meet New Galaxy Draftee Sean Franklin!

By: Laurie | February 1st, 2008

I meant to get to this right after SuperDraft, but better late than never, right? So let’s use the powers of LA Galaxy Offside to welcome our first draft pick, new Galaxy player Sean Franklin. Sean came form Cal State Northridge and was a graphic design major.

Sean is also one of the U-23s who’s been at camp with our Mike Randolph, so we now have another Youth International on our team. Excellent! Except if they both end up at the Olympics in conflict with Galaxy games. That would be not so great. Having internationals on an MLS teams can be a mixed blessing.

But this is the preseason, where we don’t have to think about these kinds of things.

Sean is a right-sided defender who can apparently also play at right mid. Buzz Carrick’s assessment of him at the Combine, where he played rightback:

- Sean Franklin is fantastic. He’s a prototype modern professional outside back. Great defender who can really run and cause danger in combination down the line.

Sounds like the right side equivalent of Mike Randolph.

Also from Buzz Carrick, his full pre-draft assessment. Carrick rated Franklin fourth in his the entire pool of 75 defenders.

Big, strong, fast, and willing to get forward, Franklin cemented himself as one of the top two outside backs with just one day at the combine. It’s easy to see why he’s in the latest U23 camp. Despite missing the majority of his senior year, Franklin showed enough in just seven games to be named All-Big West First Team for the third straight time. A Second Team nod in his freshman year came after a red shirt in 2003 and gives him four straight Big West nods. Franklin was called into the US U23’s last February for their tour of Japan and was a US U20 back in 2004. The fleet right back was named to the PDL All-League Team with the San Fernando Valley Quakes. He’s got the athleticism to really get up and down the field. 2006 Top Drawer Soccer 3rd Team of the Year, 2005 TDS 1st Team of the Year. 2004 Big West 2nd Team. 2003 red shirt. MLS Combine.

Sean hails from Palmdale, just 35 miles or so from the Home Depot Center, so this will feel like home.

Cal State Northridge has an interesting interview with him, done right before the Combine, if you’d like to know a little more about him. One excerpt:

Q: If you could land in your ideal city in the upcoming MLS Superdraft, which city would you choose?

A: I would love to be in Los Angeles. Playing for Chivas USA would be my first choice, then LA Galaxy. It would be nice to stay close to home, to my family, my friends, and of course my girlfriend. Another option I wouldn’t mind would be the San Jose Earthquakes. Being a new team, I feel like I would have an equal opportunity to have a chance to play or potentially start. Going to a team that is already established with their players would be tough, but watching and learning is something that I wouldn’t mind.

Uh-oh. He’d pick Chivas over the Galaxy? But I’m quite certain he’s changed his mind by now.

One final and interesting Sean story, from ESPNSoccernet:

The talented midfielder was set to be welcomed into the pro ranks by none other than new teammate David Beckham. Beckham, who is spending the offseason in London training with Arsenal, was scheduled to talk to Franklin via mobile phone just minutes after the Galaxy selected the midfielder. But the call didn’t happen. The reason? Some unforeseen delays closed the window of opportunity to talk and David was off to board a helicopter and couldn’t get cell service. I am sure Franklin will get to talk to and meet David soon enough, but that would’ve been some welcome to his new world.

David couldn’t say it then, but we’ll say it now: Welcome to the Galaxy, Sean Franklin!