Ricky Jean Francois

Ricky attended college at LSU where he played football, as well as track and field. He was a member of LSU’s 2007 BCS National Championship team, and also the defensive MVP of the 2008 BCS National Championship Game. Picked late in the 7th round of the 2009 Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, he defied the odds by having a tenured career in the NFL. He became famous among 49ers fans for his "Peanut Butter Jelly Dance". He played for 6 NFL teams where he was always a mentoring squad player. Ricky also knew that his football career would eventually end, needing to focus on his “retirement fund”. This goal was realized when he played for the New England Patriots where he used Dunkin’ franchises as a potential pathway for his post-career plans. He joined forces with Jordan Reed and Sam Shields founding U Donuts, LLC. The trio has since planned to operate 26 stores in the Southeast US. Grant Benson, Dunkin’ Brands Sr. VP of Franchising stated, “Many of the skills learned in sports can translate to franchising, and these professional athletes know how to work hard and utilize the operations playbook to their advantage”. As the trio of players continues to build their coffee and donut empire, Ricky wants more players to focus on building their post-career plans early on, so they can retire and walk gently into a comfortable life. Career Highlights and Awards: BCS National Champion (2007) SEC Champion (2007)