Bobby Franklin
Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame

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Ole Miss
Sugar Bowls: 1960

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Inducted: 2026

Bobby Franklin was the Most Outstanding Player of the 1960 Sugar Bowl as Ole Miss gained sweet revenge on LSU with a 21-0 shutout – the Rebels had lost to LSU on Halloween Night of the 1959 season behind star Billy Cannon’s famed 89-yard punt return touchdown. That LSU team had not allowed a passing touchdown all season, but Franklin connected on an 18-yard TD pass in the third quarter and then a nine-yarder in the fourth quarter to key the victory. A native of Clarksdale, Miss., Franklin led Ole Miss to three straight bowl games from 1958-60 and was also the MVP of the 1958 Gator Bowl. After his time in Oxford, he played seven years in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns as a defensive back and backup punter. He led the Browns with eight interceptions in 1960, including a game against the Bears in which he had two INT return touchdowns, and also helped the Browns to the 1964 NFL Championship. After six years of coaching in the NFL, he ran Bobby Franklin’s Dollar Store in Tunica, Miss., for three years (1976-79) before joining the coaching staff at Northwest Mississippi Community College. He was named head coach in 1981 and held that position for 24 years until his retirement in 2004. He won two junior college national championships (1982, 1992) during his tenure and the school’s football stadium now bears his name. He is also a member of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, the Ole Miss M Club Hall of Fame, and the Northwest Mississippi Community College Hall of Fame. Franklin passed away on May 13, 2025, at the age of 88.