Wesley French

Wesley M. French (born November 30, 1996) is an American professional football center who is a free agent. He spent seven years playing college football at Western Michigan seeing game action during five of those seasons both as a defensive tackle and offensive lineman.

French was signed by general manager Chris Ballard of the Colts as an undrafted free agent in . After failing to see game action during his 2022 rookie year, French made his first career NFL start on September 24, 2023, on the road against the Baltimore Ravens.

Early life

Wesley M. French was born November 30, 1996, in St. Joseph, Michigan, located in the western part of the state. He was active in athletics from an early age, participating in wrestling and football.

French attended St. Joseph High School, playing offensive tackle for the Bears. By the end of his high school days French had added several inches of height and 25 pounds of muscle, listing at 6'5" tall and 300 pounds, sufficient in skill, strength, and size to attract the scholarship attention of a number of universities, including the University of Illinois, Iowa State University, and San Diego State University, and at least eight schools from the Midwest Athletic Conference.

In December 2014, French decided to accept the scholarship offer of Western Michigan University, located in Kalamazoo, thereby retaining the year of eligibility. He finally cracked the lineup in 2016, playing in four games for a Western Michigan team regarded as among the school's best ever, finishing the regular season with an undefeated 12–0 record before falling to the University of Wisconsin in the January 2017 Cotton Bowl Classic.

Indianapolis Colts On April 30, 2022, French signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent, following the 2022 NFL draft. He signed a 3-year, $2.57 million contract with the club with a guaranteed signing bonus of $10,000. French did not see game action with the Colts during the 2022 season.

French was named to the Colts' 53 man roster in 2023, seeing action during the first two games of the year. Following an injury to Colts' starting center Ryan Kelly, French made his first career start in the NFL on September 24, 2023, in a game against the Baltimore Ravens.

On August 7, 2024, French was placed on injured reserve after undergoing season-ending ankle surgery.

On March 12, 2025, French re-signed with the Colts on a one-year contract. He was waived on August 26 as part of final roster cuts.

Dallas Cowboys On September 17, 2025, French signed with the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad. He was waived on November 18.

Cleveland Browns On December 17, 2025, French was signed to the Cleveland Browns' practice squad.

Birmingham Stallions On January 14, 2026, French was selected by the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League (UFL).

Chicago Bears On August 11, 2026, French signed with the Chicago Bears. He was released on August 30, 2026.

Footnotes