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Welcome back to the Tigers Football Insider, where we bring you the latest news and analysis from The Daily Memphian’s Frank Bonner II, Geoff Calkins and John Martin each week.
After six years with the Memphis program, defensive back Jacobi Francis tweeted a farewell message to the Tigers on Tuesday.
“Thank you to the University of Memphis for allowing me to come and follow my dreams both on the field and in the classroom and leaving this wonderful university with two degrees,” Francis tweeted.
Francis joined the Tigers in 2016 and has seen a lot of success, including the 2019 conference championship that was followed by the Cotton Bowl. He was a redshirt senior last season who opted to use his extra year of eligibility provided by the NCAA because of the pandemic.
 Jacobi Francis
Francis turned that extra year into a career-high 36 tackles and tied his career-high of two interceptions. He also tallied seven pass deflections. Francis ended his Tigers career with 129 tackles, six interceptions, a forced fumble and 29 pass deflections.
Francis made sure to thank the coaching and training staff who helped develop him into the player he is today. He also thanked the Memphis fans on the way out.
“Thank you Tiger Nation for the endless support over the year!” Francis wrote. “Hearing you in the stands and cheering at countless games meant the most to me and my teammates. The GRIT and GRIND of the city has taught me a lot and I’m forever grateful.”
The next step for the former two-star athlete from Newton High School in Georgia is to prepare for the 2022 NFL draft. Francis isn’t the only Tiger expected to try his shot at the draft and Memphis hopes to add a few more names to its current list of NFL players. Offensive lineman Dylan Parham and receiver Calvin Austin III are expected to be the highest NFL prospects for the Tigers this season.
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