BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Former University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff football standout Wallace Francis was inducted into the Southwestern Athletic Conference's class of 2017 Hall of Fame. The Franklin, Louisiana, native played wide receiver for UAPB from 1969-72 and caught a total of 85 catches for 1,785 yards to go along with 28 career touchdown receptions. For his career he averaged 17.5 yards per reception and caught a career-high 14 touchdowns during his senior year. His collegiate athletic football honors as a Golden Lion include: First-Team All-Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) in 1972; Second-Team All-Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) in 1971; First-Team National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) District 17 in 1972.

Francis majored in community recreation and minored in sociology. In college, he received an advanced degree in biblical studies and became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.

Francis was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round of the 1973 NFL draft and later also played for the Atlanta Falcons.