Francis Bernard (American football): Difference between revisions

| college = [[Utah Utes football|Utah]],<br>[[BYU Cougars football|BYU]]

'''Francis Bernard''' (born April 8, 1995) is an American football [[linebacker]] for the [[Dallas Cowboys]] of the [[National Football League]] (NFL). He played college football at [[Utah Utes football|Utah]] and [[BYU Cougars football|BYU]].

After playing his freshman year of high school football at [[Bingham High School]], Bernard later transferred to [[Herriman High School]].<ref name="DUC">{{cite web |last1=Ramsay |first1=Brayden |title=Pick-Six: The Francis Bernard Story |url=https://dailyutahchronicle.com/2019/11/21/francis-bernard/ |website=Daily Utah Chronicle |access-date=April 17, 2020}}</ref> He was named a 4A all-state running back at Herriman.<ref name="DCP" /> He committed to [[BYU Cougars football|Brigham Young]] on December 11, 2012.<ref>{{cite web |title=Francis Bernard, Herriman, All Purpose Back |url=https://247sports.com/Player/Francis-Bernard-19999/high-school-32105/ |website=247Sports |access-date=April 17, 2020}}</ref>

Coming in to theEntering BYU program as a [[running back]], Bernard saw playing time thereas hisa freshman year but thenand was asked toeventually movemoved to [[linebacker]] for his sophomore year with the emergence of [[Jamaal Williams]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Allen |first1=Trevor |title=Utes LB Francis Bernard Finds Redemption In Second Chance To Play Football |url=https://kslsports.com/415811/utes-lb-francis-bernard-finds-redemption-in-second-chance-to-play-football/ |website=KSL Sports |access-date=April 17, 2020 |date=August 31, 2019}}</ref> BeforeAfter his juniorsophomore season, Bernard announced that he would redshirt the year for personal reasons.<ref>{{cite web |title=BYU LB Francis Bernard to redshirt due to personal reasons |url=https://apnews.com/e24c6e8c5c584c23b039db9e90d55a80 |website=Associated Press |access-date=April 17, 2020 |date=August 17, 2017}}</ref> It was later revealed that Bernardhe was also facing a full-season suspension for violating BYU's honor code. BecauseBernard ofeventually that, Bernard decidedelected to transfer to Utah.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kragthorpe |first1=Kurt |title=Utah linebacker Francis Bernard shaped by the health scares of his fiancee and their baby boy |url=https://www.sltrib.com/sports/utah-utes/2019/08/25/utah-linebacker-francis/ |website=Salt Lake Tribune |access-date=April 17, 2020 |date=August 26, 2019}}</ref>

After taking a year away from football, Bernard wastransferred grantedin permissionAugust 2018 to play forthe [[Utah Utes football|University of Utah]], inwhere Augusthe 2018completed his college football career as a linebacker for the Utes.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Coon |first1=John |title=Former BYU LB Francis Bernard cleared to play for Utah |url=https://apnews.com/2e5aa10bf44c47bebacc54a7b188c037 |website=Associated Press |access-date=April 17, 2020 |date=August 13, 2018}}</ref> After hisIn 2019 at the end of his senior season, Bernard was named first-team all-Pac-12 and participated in the [[2020 Senior Bowl]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kragthorpe |first1=Kurt |title=Utah’s Terrell Burgess and Francis Bernard have positioned themselves for NFL careers |url=https://www.sltrib.com/sports/utah-utes/2019/12/16/these-utes-safeties-had/ |website=Salt Lake Tribune |access-date=April 17, 2020 |date=December 17, 2019}}</ref>