Wesley French

Wesley French's Biography

Wesley Milton French, born on November 30, 1996, is an American professional football player who holds the center position for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). Born in St. Joseph, Michigan, French was a first-rate athlete with a particular fondness for football.

Even during his high school days in St. Joseph High School, he demonstrated a promising future in professional football, playing as offensive tackle brilliantly with the Bears. By the end of his high tenure, standing 6’5″ tall and weighing an impressive 300 pounds consisting mostly of muscles, French accumulated significant scholarship attention from a plethora of universities due to his remarkable skill, strength, and size.

In December of 2014, French acceded to accept the scholarship offer from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, thereby formally initiating his collegiate journey in the fall of 2015. French’s relationship with the Western Michigan Broncos was lengthy, persevering for seven years.

Without a chance to participate in a match in 2015, French retained an extra year of eligibility. However, he got his shot at the big games in the 2016 season. During what many consider the best football season for Western Michigan University, French played in four matches, witnessing the undefeated 12-0 regular season record of the team, which ended with a loss against the University of Wisconsin at the prestigious Cotton Bowl Classic.

Prior to the 2018 season, French shifted from offense to defence, taking on all 13 games of the season as a primary defensive tackle. Subsequently, he found himself having to sit out the entire 2019 season, not due to underperformance, but an incapacitating foot injury. It wasn’t all doom and gloom for French that year as he graduated with a degree in interdisciplinary health services.

In 2020, a beacon of hope amidst the ongoing troubles of the COVID-19 pandemic, French reclaimed his offensive position for the Broncos. Starting all six games at center, French played a remarkable 397 snaps without surrendering a sack or a quarterback hit. This feat significantly contributed to the Broncos landing the 16th spot among FBS schools in total offense and the tenth spot in least sacks allowed.

In 2021, he returned to the grounds of Western Michigan for a final seventh year, thanks to an extended year of eligibility consequent to the pandemic. Throughout a fruitful season, French started all 13 games at center while making it to the Academic All-MAC team.

April 30, 2022, was a landmark day in French’s professional career as he was signed by the Indianapolis Colts post the 2022 NFL draft as an undrafted free agent for a contract worth $2.57 million over three years. Although 2022 was a quiet year without any in-game action with the Colts, French got recognition on the Colts’ 53-man roster in 2023.)

In a twist of fate, starting center Ryan Kelly sustains an injury, thus making way for French’s first career start for the NFL on September 24, 2023, in a game against the Baltimore Ravens. However, this streak of on-field appearances was cut short, as on August 7, 2024, French was sidelined and put on injured reserve. His journey in the world of professional American football was fraught with hardships and triumphs, demonstrating that the journey to the top is often circuitous rather than straight.