Spring Break
USC Mourns the Loss of a Great Player and Friend
Students remember the life of Ryan Francis after his tragic death, and learn to cope with his absence as a new school year begins.
Nicole Middleton
Issue date: 9/6/06 Section: Sports
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Francis, 19, had the shyness of a freshman, one who had just moved to Southern California to live on his own for the first time. Those familiar with Francis knew he carried himself with a cool, southern nonchalance, not to be confused with the cockiness at being a basketball star.
"Ryan was a very trustworthy guy and down to earth," said sophomore teammate, Sead Odzic. "He was easy to talk to and I was instantly in a better mood by being around him. He always made me feel like he had my back and would always be there for me."
Francis was visiting his mother for Mother's Day, and was supposed to return to Los Angeles after the weekend to begin summer school. He never made it back to USC.
Three days after finals ended, Francis was shot four times while riding in the backseat of his friend's car after leaving a party.
Francis was one of four passengers riding in the vehicle when the shooting occurred around 3 a.m. While pulled up at a stoplight, the driver of another vehicle got out and opened fire. The driver of the car Francis was riding in attempted to drive away, but Francis, who rode in the backseat, had already been fatally wounded.
Baton Rouge Police later arrested and charged DeAnthony Norman Ford, 19, on a count of first-degree murder, accusing Ford of opening fire from his SUV in attempt to shoot another man riding with Francis.
Other friends thought Francis' Louisianan accent and good manners differentiated him from the typical USC student.
"Ryan was extremely soft spoken. Half of the time you couldn't understand what he was talking about.... but he'd always end with 'ya heard me?', and after the third time of making him repeat himself, all you could do was just smile and say yeah", said junior Ashley Ellis.
Francis was proud to come from Baton Rouge and definitely brought the spirit of Louisiana with him.
"I always liked when he would talk about his way of life in Louisiana," sophomore teammate Jeremy Barr said.
"The way they wore clothes, jigg which is their dance that he always did, the music, slang and everything that goes on where he came from,"
Barr became good friends with Francis and said he treated Francis more like an older brother, although they were in the same class.
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