KGFW Sports – Sam Francis 2020 HOF Inductee

Sam Francis, a two-sport star for the Huskers in the 1930s, was announced as the fifth member of the University of Nebraska Athletic Hall of Fame class of 2020 Tuesday. Francis is being inducted posthumously, as he passed away on April 23, 2002, at the age of 88. Francis was a decorated member of Nebraska’s football and track and field teams from 1934 to 1937. As a fullback on the gridiron, Francis was the 1936 Heisman Trophy runner-up, a consensus first-team All-American and the No. 1 overall pick in the 1937 NFL Draft. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1977 and his No. 38 jersey was retired by Nebraska in 2017. Francis was also one of the top shot putters in the world during his Husker career. A two-time All-American and four-time Big Six Conference champion in the event, Francis was the 1937 NCAA shot put champion, and he finished fourth in the event at the 1936 Olympics. The final member of the 2020 Nebraska Athletic Hall of Fame Class will be announced Wednesday on the official Nebraska Athletics Twitter account (@Huskers) and on Huskers.com.