ISU tight end Collin Franklin spent most of his days sleeping.

If he ate anything more solid than pudding or soup, his stomach made him pay for it.

Franklin spent most of the 2009 season inhibited by the H1N1 virus.

It forced him to miss two games, and in the games he could play, he didn’t have performances that were up to his potential.

“I wasn’t able to eat solid foods for about a week,” Franklin said. “I lost 20 pounds in about five days. Losing 20 pounds in football is not something that’s easy to come back from. I tried to come back and do everything that I was used to doing, and I ended up hurting my back.”

With the 2010 season in full swing and Franklin back at full strength, he has shown the team what kind of player he can be when he’s healthy.

Franklin has totaled 14 receptions for 143 yards through the first three weeks of the season.

Tight ends coach Courtney Messingham attributes that to his improvement in conditioning and work in the offseason.

“I think he worked hard in the offseason to get his weight back and get himself in great shape, and then in two-a-days he’s worked hard and he’s worked hard in our first three games,” Messingham said.

Franklin’s sickness caused him to become very winded after only a few plays throughout last season. Messingham has seen both Franklin’s run-blocking ability and stamina improve this season.

Another improvement Franklin has made is making the adjustment to the lifestyle in Ames and the rest of the Midwest, which vastly contrasts with that of his hometown of Simi Valley, Calif.

Despite having taken trips to the Midwest before, it took some time for Franklin to get adjusted to the slower-paced lifestyle, smaller population and lack of entertainment scene compared to his hometown.

Ames also doesn’t have a beach, which means Franklin had to get used to not being able to go surfing, one of his favorite activities.

“I love just spending time at the beach no matter what I’m doing,” Franklin said. “Whether I’m surfing or bodyboarding or just out there getting some sun. Just the atmosphere of the coast, whether I’m up in Santa Monica or down in Malibu, thats one of the main things I miss about being home is the beach atmosphere.”

His California lifestyle and attitude didn’t take long to rub off on his teammates both on the practice field and in the locker room.

“He’s kind of a joker in the locker room,” said wide receiver Jake Williams. “He’s kind of got that surfer-dude attitude, a beach bum sorta. It’s kind of different having someone here in Iowa with that attitude.”

Despite the differences in cultures, it didn’t take long for Franklin to fall in love with the Ames community.

The support the people of Ames give the football team is something Franklin noticed right away and has helped him feel more comfortable in a place he is learning to call home away from home.

“I love the campus and I love the people around here,” Franklin said. “Being able to play for a program like this is something I’ve always dreamed about. I love being able to go around town and everyone has an Iowa State sign in the window or an Iowa State football poster up on the wall.”

While Franklin gives some of the credit to the fans for helping the team build on its success, he has been helped by coach Paul Rhoads and his staff for helping him get back to where he needs to be.

He said the coaching staff does a great job of finding the things that he and the other players need to be coached on and then putting it in a way that is easy for him to understand.

“If you go into practice and you’re just going through the motions and just getting by, you’re going to get run out of here real quick,” Franklin said. “Everybody is always pushing each other and picking each other up when they see somebody is not having a good day or going through some things.”

Franklin has many talents. On top of surfing and bodyboarding, he plays a variety of instruments including the piano, drums, guitar and other percussion instruments, as well as vocals — in the locker room at least.

He is committed to working hard and getting better every day and every game in an effort to fulfill his dream of playing pro football. He could definitely see himself doing something in the music industry once his playing days are over.

“You can ask anybody on the team, they’re probably annoyed cause I’m always singing at practice, but that’s just another passion of mine,” Franklin said. “Whether I can be successful in that field, who knows, but the way I look at it, you got to follow things that you’re interested in.”

Bigger stages may be in store for Franklin down the road. For right now he’s concentrating on reaching his full potential and giving back to his team what it gave to him when he needed it the most.

“It was cool,” Franklin said of getting back onto the field. “It felt good to be able to come back and be able to contribute to the team the way I know how to. So it’s nice to have some reconfirmation of instead of just thinking that I can do things, to actually be able to prove it to myself and to other people.”

Sounds like someone who is making himself right at home.