This is Part 14 in a series of articles on the players who make up the 2010 Los Angeles Galaxy.

The number 28 has an interesting importance in terms of mathematics, science, and astronomy.

It's the second perfect number, the first being six and the next being 496. It's the atomic number of the mineral nickel and the fourth magic number in physics.

There are 28 days in a lunar month, and in mathematics, it is a harmonic divisor number, a happy number, a triangular number, a hexagonal number, and a centered nonagonal number.

In Gematriya, the system of Hebrew Numerology, the number 28 corresponds to the word koakh, meaning "power" and "energy." 28 is the number used by former NASCAR driver Davey Allison for his entire NASCAR Winston Cup career.

28 is the number of the postal code of the province of Madrid, where clubs like Atletico and Real Madrid ply their trade.

And 28 is the number that defender Sean Franklin of the Los Angeles Galaxy wears. Franklin made his mark as a member of the Cal State-Northridge Matadors.

With great speed to go with an agile 5-foot-10 frame, Franklin now makes his mark by marking opposing attackers as a right back for the G's.

Sean Michael Franklin was born on March 21, 1985, in Panorama City, Calif. Panorama City is a district of Los Angeles, located in the heart of the San Fernando Valley.

With a population of 65,235, Panorama City is bordered by Mission Hills to the north, Arleta to the northeast, Sun Valley to the east, Van Nuys to the south, and North Hills to the west.

An American industrialist by the name of Henry J. Kaiser created Panorama City as a planned community for residents of L.A.

It was originally the home of a General Motors assembly plant and a brewery for Schlitz beer (now only making a comeback at its original plant in Milwaukee).

The GM assembly plant has been replaced with a commercial center replete with stores, theaters and restaurants, while the brewery is now under the auspices of Anheuser-Busch. Saticoy Street in Panorama City is the setting for NBC's comedy series "The Office."

Notable residents from Panorama City include silver screen siblings Kirk and Candace Cameron, boxer Jose Benavidez, actress Meagan Good, and actor Jonathan Iniguez.

Franklin began his footballing career with the Bulldogs of Highland High School in Palmdale, Calif. As a senior, he was named the Golden League's Most Valuable Player, earning first-team honors in 2003 en route to the league championship.

The decision for Franklin to play soccer for Terry Davila's Cal State-Northridge Matadors was a no-brainer. Not only was CSUN a matter of convenience, but his father played on the football team from 1975-1977.

Franklin redshirted the 2003 season and came out storming the gates in 2004. After starting all 19 matches that year, he earned All-Big West Conference second-team honors and was named to the U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team.

In 2005, Franklin showed to Coach Davila that he can facilitate the play in the midfield, leading the Matadors with six assists, the highest among BWC defenders that season.

For his work, he was named to the All-Big West Conference first team while also garnering All-Far West Region third-team accolades. Franklin started all 21 matches in defense for Northridge.

In 2006, Franklin was once again a force in the defensive backfield for Cal State Northridge, starting all 19 matches.

He would be named to the All-Big West first team and All-Far West Region second team. The following spring, Franklin played for the U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team during a February tour of Japan.

By the time he finished his college career at Northridge, he started all 67 games he appeared in, with two goals and 10 assists to his credit.

Outside of college, Franklin played for the San Fernando Valley Quakes of the USL Premier Development League. He helped lead the Quakes to the postseason in 2007, but he broke his arm in a playoff semi-final against Brigham Young.

But a broken arm couldn't prevent Franklin from chasing his dream of competing in Major League Soccer. That dream came true in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft, where he was selected as the fourth overall pick.

Little did he realize that he would also storm the gates at the Home Depot Center, en route to becoming the first LA Galaxy player to win MLS Rookie of the Year.

In the 2008 season, Franklin played in 27 of the Galaxy's 30 games. He made his debut in the season opener against the San Jose Earthquakes on April 3, and went on to become a permanent fixture in the club's defense as a center back.

He earned the first assist of his MLS career on October 12 in LA's 3-2 win over Colorado.

2009, however, was not a nice season to Franklin.

He missed more than four months of action to repair a torn right hamstring sustained on May 17 against the Columbus Crew. However, Franklin recovered to play a key role in helping Los Angeles return to the MLS Cup.

On Sept. 19, he returned to help the Galaxy in their 2-0 victory over Toronto FC, as the team went on to claim the Western Conference regular season crown.

Franklin was also an integral part of LA's postseason run, starting every match and playing all 390 minutes.

As he watched the penalty shootout unfold and Real Salt Lake win it on that November night at Qwest Field, the hunger for a return to the promised land began in earnest.

So now, as the 2010 MLS season charts its course, the No. 28 takes on his role steering the ship to its new destination: BMO Field in Toronto.

And that No. 28 is Sean Franklin, a right back who aims to bring his Los Angeles Galaxy right back to the MLS Cup, where unfinished business awaits.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here