College Football Player. Born in Pennsylvania, Francis, better known as "Reds" because of his red hair and freckles, was the water boy at Penn from 12 years old until he became a student in 1947. Before entering Penn, Red was a two-sport letter-winner at West Catholic High and led his school to Catholic League football championships in 1944 and 1945. He was named the outstanding high school football player in Philadelphia in 1945. Reds also became an all-American football player and team captain his senior season in college, and became only the fifth player in school history to win nine letters. He was a starting guard on the basketball team and an outfielder on the baseball team. He was an All-American tailback for the University of Pennsylvania, he graduated in 1951. He won the Maxwell Trophy, and was the runner up for Heisman Trophy, Reds was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1977. After graduating from Penn, he served four years as an officer in the Navy and returned to Philadelphia and became a broker in the securities industry. For most of his adult life, he was heavily involved in civic activities, serving on boards of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Police Athletic League, the Easter Seal Society, the Hahnemann University Hospital Arthritis Center, and the Alan Ameche Memorial Foundation, among others. He was chairman of the Maxwell Football Club and past president of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame.
College Football Player. Born in Pennsylvania, Francis, better known as "Reds" because of his red hair and freckles, was the water boy at Penn from 12 years old until he became a student in 1947. Before entering Penn, Red was a two-sport letter-winner at West Catholic High and led his school to Catholic League football championships in 1944 and 1945. He was named the outstanding high school football player in Philadelphia in 1945. Reds also became an all-American football player and team captain his senior season in college, and became only the fifth player in school history to win nine letters. He was a starting guard on the basketball team and an outfielder on the baseball team. He was an All-American tailback for the University of Pennsylvania, he graduated in 1951. He won the Maxwell Trophy, and was the runner up for Heisman Trophy, Reds was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1977. After graduating from Penn, he served four years as an officer in the Navy and returned to Philadelphia and became a broker in the securities industry. For most of his adult life, he was heavily involved in civic activities, serving on boards of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Police Athletic League, the Easter Seal Society, the Hahnemann University Hospital Arthritis Center, and the Alan Ameche Memorial Foundation, among others. He was chairman of the Maxwell Football Club and past president of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame.
Bio by: Shock
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