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TORONTO – Orlando Franklin is looking to give back.

The Los Angeles Chargers offensive lineman purchased the Scarborough Minor Football Association on Monday. It’s the same program Franklin played for as a youth before moving to Florida, where he played high school football in Delray Beach.

Franklin went on to play collegiately at Miami before being selected in the second round, No. 46 overall, by Denver in the 2011 NFL draft. Franklin cracked the Broncos’ starting lineup as a rookie and played four seasons there before signing a five-year, US$36.5-million deal with Los Angeles as a free agent.

According to a release announcing the move, the sole intent of the purchase is “the opportunity to give our kids more so they can be more successful.”

The statement also said Franklin’s vision includes purchasing land to accommodate an indoor training facility in the neighbourhood in eastern Toronto that would include an indoor turf field, library, basketball court, classrooms and pool table.

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