The Jets cut him but wanted to sign him to their practice squad. Just as they were taking him to a room to sign the contract, Francisco, who preferred to play for the Cardinals near family and friends, made one more phone call to Arizona's defensive assistant coach Richard Solomon to see if the Cardinals had a spot for him.

While Francisco waited, Solomon discussed the issue with head coach Dennis Green and then returned to the phone; yes, the Cardinals would sign him to their practice squad. By opening day Francisco was on the active roster. He wound up playing on special teams and defense, collecting 41 unassisted tackles and two interceptions. He was named as an alternate to the Pro Bowl team as a special teams player. He is now considered the heir apparent to 36-year-old safety Robert Griffith.

Francisco saw frequent action as a nickelback. "That does two things," Green told Arizona Republic reporter Bob McManaman. "It gives you a chance to get (strong safety Adrian Wilson) close to the line of scrimmage, and two, it gets Aaron on the field. You always look to see who is your next best player to come in, and right now, we think Aaron is our next best player. He makes big plays all over the place, and he's a ball hawk."

If there was any doubt that the Cardinals have long-term plans for Francisco, they offered him a four-year contract extension just before the final game of the season, which caught Francisco by surprise.

"I thought they would tender me a year," he says. "I was happy. I got more than I thought I could get. All they had to offer was another year."

Moral of the story: "I'm not a guy who tests great," says Francisco. "In games I make plays. That's why I am where I am today."

Francisco was speaking by phone from his family home in Kahuku, a small town of less than 5,000 whose high school by the same name has five players in the NFL, tied for the most in the NFL. Francisco went there to rest for two weeks before he starts an intense off-season training program to get ready for next season.

"I've come a long way," he says. "I took the hard road."

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E-mail: drob@desnews.com