Zaire Franklin, a 2014 graduate of La Salle College High School in Wyndmoor and captain of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, has announced a scholarship fund for a student from Philadelphia to become an Explorer.
“My parents passed when I was 16, in my junior year, my mom in February and my grandmother in April. The La Salle College High School community really wrapped their arms around me and really helped continue my growth and development as a man,” Franklin told FOX29. “Which is why, I’m doing this to help give another young man from the city and give him the same opportunity. But once I got to the NFL, you know, I just felt like, you know, women are always overlooked in that situation about just being able to get different opportunities.”
The full interview is below:
An Inaugural Scholarship Gala will be held on Thursday, March 20 at The Switch House in Philadelphia. Tickets can be found here.
Franklin posted the following on February 20 to promote the event:
Proud to announce my Inaugural Scholarship Gala with #ShelicesAngels to celebrate and give a scholarship to a young man in the Philly area to attend @lschs, my Alma Mater, as well as honor leaders in the community!
Learn more at https://t.co/tELWwKsmK2 pic.twitter.com/K5t5B85oQB
— Zaire Franklin (@ZiggySmalls_) February 21, 2025
Since 2019, the seven-year NFL veteran has been operating a non-profit in memory of his late mother, Shelice Highsmith, called Shelice’s Angels. The foundation’s goal is “to help young women see the many opportunities available to them outside of their current environments striving to open doors and provide resources that will help build self-esteem while providing positive reinforcement in the lives of young women,” the school said in an announcement.
Shelice’s Angels posted the following yesterday:
View this post on Instagram
Franklin previously made headlines in December 2024 after receiving a nomination for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
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Photo: X.com