 He was selected in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft (56th overall) by the Dolphins, and played under head coach Don Shula.Franklin led the Dolphins in rushing during the strike-shortened 1982 season, third overall in the NFL, with 701 yards in nine games.The Dolphins won the AFC title and met the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVII in January 1983 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.