Florida State freshman offensive lineman Luke Francis Jr., who grew up in Croydon, England, had an unlikely journey to Tallahassee. Francis, a product of the NFL Academy in London, and freshman offensive lineman Nikau Hepi, who came from the NFL Academy’s campus in Australia, are the first NFL Academy athletes to play for the Seminoles.
The NFL Academy, established in 2019, is a global initiative run by the NFL to create educational and athletic opportunities for international talent, with the goal of securing athletic scholarships for its members at American universities and colleges.
Advertisement
Now a freshman with the Seminoles, Francis reflected on how he got here, the mentors who helped him along the way, and what it will take for other international athletes to follow his path.
The journey to American football
Francis, a three-star recruit, began his journey to playing American football with his first passion: basketball.
“I used to play basketball, and a basketball coach told me I’m too big to play basketball,” Francis said in an interview with the FSView. “[He said] I don’t have the build for basketball, but I have a build for American football, and so he set me up with the NFL Academy … [We] recorded some drills, sent it to them, went to their combine, and they took me in.”
Advertisement
Never miss a beat: Sign up for the FSView Newsletter
At the NFL Academy, Francis played defensive line for the London Warriors and tested his skills in the trenches against premier American high school programs, including California’s De La Salle High School at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and IMG Academy in Munich, Germany.
Those performances, along with a standout showing at FSU’s Big Man Camp in the summer of 2025, earned him offers from Syracuse University, Georgia State University, and FSU. He then moved to the United States for his senior season at Coral Gables Senior High School, where he switched to offensive lineman.
For Francis, committing to the ‘Noles became a no-brainer.
Advertisement
“Coaching, culture, and standards. Those are the three big things … I valued during my recruiting process,” Francis said. “[Offensive line coach Herb] Hand; I love him to death … He’s genuinely became a second father to me with the way he’s able to teach [me] and how understanding he is.”
Florida State defensive lineman Earnest Rankins (54), offensive lineman Luke Francis Jr. (58) and defensive back Nehemiah Chandler (12) take a knee before the Seminoles’ game against Virginia on Oct. 3 at Doak Campbell Stadium.
Mentorship, legacy, and FSU’s culture
While Francis is part of the first class of NFL Academy players to join the Garnet and Gold, Florida State has a long-standing legacy of international talent. This includes Australian punter Alex Mastromanno, a 2024 consensus All-American, and English offensive lineman Menelik Watson, the 42nd overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft, among others.
Advertisement
Francis looks forward to learning from these alumni and contributing to that legacy.
“It’s an honor … to be able to walk in the footsteps of greats that have come before us like Menelik Watson,” Francis said. “When I first committed [to FSU, Watson] instantly texted me … He became a mentor. [He] wanted to know how he could teach me … he taught me ways to manage myself around the coaches… Having that international community is something that I wouldn’t trade for anything.”
Never miss a beat: Sign up for the FSView Newsletter
Since signing with the Seminoles on Dec. 3, 2025, and arriving in Tallahassee on Jan. 7, Francis has embraced what it means to play for FSU.
Advertisement
“It’s electrifying. It’s addicting. It’s amazing,” Francis said. “You couldn’t ask for a better culture … for better families … for a better tradition … It’s an honor to wear the Seminole on my chest every time I run out of that tunnel … It’s an honor to walk around campus with the Seminole on my chest … [and] to go home … and teach people about the great things that FSU has done for me and can do for many others.”
Francis is driven by his purpose
Francis does not take that duty lightly. That’s why, when he faces adversity, he remembers his “why.”
“I just say to myself, ‘What would my mom tell me? What about my brother, my sister, my dad?,'” Francis said. “How would I feel when I get to the point where I can give back to them for how much they put into me?”
Advertisement
Francis’ dream of playing American football became a reality because of his commitment to his craft. He said international athletes who want to chase the same dream need to be all in, just like him.
“This isn’t something that you don’t take seriously. This is your life,” Francis said. “If this is really something that you want to do, put 100% into it because the second that you put 99% into it, it gets exposed really fast … Learn to love the game … and to be coachable, and this could be something that changes your life forever.”
Hunter Milligan is a Senior Staff Writer for the FSView & Florida Flambeau, the student-run, independent online news service for the FSU community. Email our staff at contact@fsview.com.
This article originally appeared on FSU News: NFL Academy athlete Luke Francis Jr. looks to ‘put 100%’ into football
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
