Three former Seminoles selected in inaugural USFL Draft

At least three former Seminoles will be participating in the United States Football League.

The United States Football League will begin play this spring with the goal of putting a sustainable product on the field. Over the last few years, there have been a few professional football startup leagues such as the AAF and XFL. To this point, none of them have been able to catch on consistently to compete with the NFL.

Throughout Tuesday and Wednesday, the USFL held the inaugural draft for the eight franchises that will be participating in 2022. During the course of the 35 round draft, three former players with ties to Florida State were selected; linebacker Reggie Northrup, wide receiver John Franklin III, and quarterback De'Andre Johnson.

Johnson was the lone former Seminole that was drafted on day one. He was selected by the New Jersey Generals with the fifth pick in round 12. Johnson and former Tarleton product Ben Holmes will be the two quarterbacks for the franchise. 

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The Florida native signed with Florida State out of high school before he was dismissed from the team for an off-field incident just seventh months after he enrolled on campus. Johnson landed at East Mississippi Community College, where he starred on 'Last Chance U'. He signed with Florida Atlantic out of JUCO, looking to rebuild his career under Lane Kiffin. Unfortunately, he suffered from blood clots and was unable to play consistently for the Owls. Johnson transferred to Texas Southern for his final season of eligibility. He threw ten touchdowns to five interceptions but went undrafted in 2020.

Franklin and Northrup were both selected on day two. Franklin went off the board to the Tampa Bay Bandits in round 12 while Northup was drafted by the Houston Gamblers in round 21. 

Franklin began his career as a quarterback at Florida State. Following the 2014 season, he transferred to East Mississippi Community College and also garnered fandom on 'Last Chance U'. He scored seven total touchdowns in a win over Mississippi Delta that ended in a brawl between the two teams. Franklin transferred to Auburn after his time in JUCO but struggled to garner consistent playing time. 

Growing frustrated with his role, he chose to transfer to Florida Atlantic as a wide receiver. Franklin went undrafted in 2018 but had stints on the practice squad with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He won the super bowl with the Buccaneers in 2021 despite not playing a snap. Franklin was suspended by the NFL in December for misrepresenting his vaccination status to the league despite being a free agent at the time.

Northrup signed with Florida State in 2012 and most fans know him from his "Reggie Robot" dance after the Seminoles' huge victory at Clemson in 2013. His most significant playing time came in 2014 as Northrup recorded 122 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and an interception. He suffered an ACL tear against Oregon in the College Football Playoff loss and impressively recovered in time to play his senior season. Northrup went undrafted in 2016 but did spend time with the Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Rams while bouncing around the league.

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Though the NFL didn't work out, Northrup began to carve an impressive career for himself as an MMA fighter. Nicknamed the "Black Dragon", he is currently 4-0 and ranked as one of the top amateur fighters out of Florida. During his most recent bout, Northup knocked out his opponent in 35 seconds. He'll look to bring his aggressive style back to the gridiron in 2022.

The USFL season is set to kick off on Saturday, April 16 with a game between the Birmingham Stallions and New Jersey Generals. All of the league's games this season will be played in Birmingham.

Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage on former Seminoles participating in the USFL throughout the spring.

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