Aaron is studying the commentators with hopes of someday becoming one of the next great sports broadcasters on ESPN. Almost done with his sophomore year, Francis has done some radio work for KUJH and became Monday night director for "Jayhawk Sportstalk" in Januray of 2007. Francis, who sports a goatee and a backwards LA Dodgers cap, is not the "typical" broadcaster. He knows he still has a long way to go, but his troublesome childhood has him feeling lucky for where he is at already.
Francis was born in Mont Claire, California, but his Mom moved the both of them to the nearby Ontario to live with his Grandparents after a few years. Francis remembers living in poverty from the beginning.
“My Mom was working two or three jobs at a time trying to support the both of us,” Francis said. “My Grandma raised me with my Mom and we eventually moved in with her and my Grandpa.”
After a few years living in a house, Aaron and his Mom found themselves living in a small trailer located on the site of his Grandparents’ truck stop business.
“It wasn’t much. We lived in a camper on the lot, so there was a sleeping area and a small spot for a television,” Francis said. “I washed myself in the truck stop bathroom using the sink.”
“My parents fought a lot, so when my Dad was around he was kicking in doors or just fighting with my Mom,” Francis said. “I have a lot of negative memories of my Dad when I think of California.”
When third grade began for Aaron, sports captivated him. he began to take a huge interest in sports.
“I would watch Dodgers, Lakers, Clippers and Angels’ game,” Francis said. “I would listen to the pre-game shows, listen to the commentaries and thought that would be a great job. I would like to do that.”
Playing video games, Francis began doing play-by-play commentary. As his fascination for sports and broadcasting grew, Aaron found himself giving play by play commentary when he played video games.
“I would listen to commentaries I heard on television and then do the same kind of thing when I played sports games for Sega Genesis,” Francis said. “If I was playing MLB, NBA or whatever, I was like a broadcaster.”
But as his dream grew, its reality seemed to shrink. it seemed while Aaron’s dream of becoming a sports broadcaster got bigger, the chance of making his dream a reality got smaller. His Mom earned enough money to move them to a small apartment in Upland, California. But they were nearly broke. but Aaron found himself once again in a poor financial situation.
“We had this new apartment but “We had no money to afford anything like electricity,” Francis said. “All my Mom could afford at the time was to pay the gas bill.”
As a result of having little money to live on, Their apartment sat was located in in a neighborhood full of gangs and violence. Aaron was victim to several incidents of bullying while living there.
“I was thrown off a roof of a building,” Francis said. “My shirt got caught in a tree branch though so nothing major happened to me. But I got messed with a lot when I lived there.”
It was soon after the roof incident; Despondant, he once Aaron attempted to commit suicide once.
“I just did not want to live,” Francis said. “I just did not feel like I had a future. where I was at. I remember always asking my Dad when he was around if I would be able to go to college and never getting a sure answer.”
The future for Aaron looked slim, as his neighborhood was full of gangs and the violence often hit close to home.
“I was sitting on the steps one day and heard gun shots being fired outside,” Francis said. “When I stopped hearing the noise, I went outside and found out from my neighbor next door that it was his house that was shot at. His older brother was a member of the Bloods.”
In 1996, the Grandmother who helped raised him died of breast cancer. The family divided. and Aaron says it put a bigger divide in the already troubled family.
“My Dad moved out here to Salina to be near his Mom,” Francis said. “I did not care because all he did was hurt my Mom. They would fight and he would slash her tires or he would threaten to kill her. He even took me with him to meet girls he was cheating on my Mom with.”
His cousin says he sees why Aaron did not care about his Dad.
“Aaron and his Dad were never that close when we lived in California, because his Dad was always causing in the family and letting him down,” Annema said. “I did not have my Dad around, but I would be just as mad as Aaron if I were in his situation.”
After many years of living in poverty in southern California and some issues with her own siblings, Aaron’s Mom decided it would be best for them to follow his Dad out to Salina and have a fresh start at life. While both Aaron and his Mom have much better relationships with his Dad today, Aaron still has resentment towards his Dad for the past.
“My parents are married and my Mom is happy, so I would never cause problems with my Dad unless it was necessary,” Francis said. “But I would not ever tolerate what he did before now.”
Aaron has lived a life many would hear about on a rap CD or see in a movie. His experiences make him one of the most interesting individuals one will come across.
“When he tells me about what his life was like growing up, it is hard to believe one person could go through so much at that young of an age,” KU sophomore and good friend, Josh Barton said. “His experiences as a kid are way different and make myself and anyone else who lived a decent childhood appreciate it more.”
While some might not think being a student at KU or doing some local television work is a big deal, it is important to Aaron.
“I feel like I have a million and one reasons why I should not be alive,” Francis said.
While proud of his achievements so far, Francis is not settling for Director of a college sports show. He plans to work hard to reach his dream he has had since a kid, becoming a professional sports broadcaster.
“My motivation is my Mom and to be successful in life,” Francis said. “I want to make the most out of the opportunity my Mom gave me by getting me out of a bad situation.”