Russell Ross Francis (born April 3, 1953), is a retired American football player, a tight end for thirteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers. Francis finished his NFL career with 393 receptions for 5,262 yards and 40 touchdowns. He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2021, the Professional Football Researchers Association named Francis to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2021