Rufus French
{{Short description|American football player (born 1978)}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Rufus French
| image =
| number = 9
| position = Tight end
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|3|15}}
| birth_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 2
| weight_lbs = 256
| high_school = Amory {{nowrap|(Amory, Mississippi)}}
| college = Ole Miss
| undraftedyear = 1999
| pastteams =
- Seattle Seahawks ({{NFL Year|1999}}–{{NFL Year|2000}})
- Green Bay Packers ({{NFL Year|2002}})*
| status =
| highlights =
- Unanimous All-American (1998)
- Third-team All-American (1997)
- 2× First-team All-SEC (1997, 1998)
}}
Joel Rufus French (born March 15, 1978) is an American former college football player who was a tight end for the Ole Miss Rebels. He was a two-time All-American, earning unanimous honors in 1998.{{cite web|title=2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections|publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)|year=2014|accessdate=August 16, 2014|page=6|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2014/Awards.pdf|archive-date=November 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181126094941/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2014/awards.pdf|url-status=dead}} He was also a member of the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL).
Early life
Joel Rufus French played football and baseball at Amory High School in Amory, Mississippi.{{cite web|url=https://olemiss.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=377174 |title=Rufus French |publisher=olemiss.rivals.com |accessdate=August 28, 2014 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903143033/https://olemiss.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=377174 |archivedate=September 3, 2014 }} He was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 30th round of the 1996 MLB June Amateur Draft.{{cite web | url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=french000ruf | title=Rufus French | publisher=Sports Reference LLC. | work=baseball-reference.com | accessdate=August 28, 2014}}{{cite web | url=http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?P=Rufus-French | title=RUFUS FRENCH | publisher=thebaseballcube.com | accessdate=August 28, 2014}}{{cite web | url=http://djournal.com/news/amorys-rufus-french-may-be-trying-to-do-it-like-bo-or-more-a/ | title=Amory's Rufus French may be trying to do it like Bo. Or more a | publisher=djournal.com | date=May 2, 1996 | accessdate=August 28, 2014 | author=Elkins, Ashley}}
College career
French chose to play football for the Ole Miss Rebels. He was a unanimous All-American in 1998. French was a first-team All-SEC selection in 1997 and 1998.{{cite web | url=https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/The-All-Undrafted-Team-The-best-draft-day-snubs?urn=ncaaf-wp1038 | title=Tight End: Rufus French, Ole Miss | publisher=yahoo.com | date=April 28, 2011 | accessdate=August 28, 2014 | author=Hinton, Matt}}{{cite web | url=http://thecabin.net/stories/120898/spo_1208980024.html | title=No surprises on All-SEC team | publisher=thecabin.net | date=December 8, 1998 | accessdate=August 28, 2014 | author=Newberry, Paul | archive-date=June 8, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608124651/http://thecabin.net/stories/120898/spo_1208980024.html | url-status=dead }}{{cite web | url=http://www.olemisssports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/070998aaa.html | title=French Named Pre-Season Football All-America | publisher=olemisssports.com | date=July 9, 1998 | accessdate=August 28, 2014}} He was a finalist for the Conerly Trophy in 1998. French finished his college career with 84 receptions, 814 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns.{{cite web | url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/rufus-french-1.html | title=Rufus French | publisher=Sports Reference LLC | work=sports-reference.com | accessdate=August 28, 2014}} He chose to forgo his senior season and enter the 1999 NFL draft.{{cite web | url=http://thecabin.net/stories/010499/spo_0104990032.html | title=Weekend update | publisher=thecabin.net | date=January 4, 1999 | accessdate=August 28, 2014}}{{cite web | url=http://thecabin.net/stories/010399/spo_0103990075.html | title=Rebs' French will bypass senior season | publisher=thecabin.net | agency=Associated Press | date=January 3, 1999 | accessdate=August 28, 2014}}
Professional career
French signed with the Seattle Seahawks after going undrafted in the 1999 NFL draft.{{cite web | url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19990616/2966727/seahawk-notebook----undrafted-french-has-a-lot-to-prove | title=Seahawk Notebook -- Undrafted French Has A Lot To Prove | publisher=community.seattletimes.nwsource.com | date=June 16, 1999 | access-date=August 28, 2014 | author=Allen, Percy}} He missed the 2000 season while recovering from a knee injury. He was released by the Seahawks on August 5, 2001.{{cite web|url=http://www.kffl.com/player/779/nfl/news |title=Rufus French |publisher=kffl.com |accessdate=August 28, 2014 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141204231606/http://www.kffl.com/player/779/nfl/news |archivedate=December 4, 2014 }}
French was signed by the Green Bay Packers on March 26, 2002. He was released by the Packers on July 23, 2002.
Legal issues
In April 2024, French was charged for his alleged involvement in an over $70 million fraud case.{{cite web | url=https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/man-charged-over-70m-medicare-fraud-scheme | title=Man Charged for Over $70M Medicare Fraud Scheme | publisher=United States Department of Justice | date=April 15, 2024 | accessdate=5 March 2025}}{{cite web | url=https://www.wtva.com/news/local/former-ole-miss-football-player-accused-of-defrauding-medicare/article_8062d590-fb9d-11ee-b482-03109d57f681.html | title=Former Ole Miss football player accused of defrauding Medicare | publisher=WTVA | date=April 15, 2024 | accessdate=6 March 2025 | author=Ford, Craig}} French, who managed several durable medical equipment companies, and his co-conspirators used illegally obtained doctors orders to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary medical equipment.
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=60272&draftyear=1999&genpos=TE NFL Draft Scout]
{{1998 NCAA Division I-A College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:French, Rufus}}
Category:Players of American football from Mississippi
Category:American football tight ends
Category:Ole Miss Rebels football players
Category:All-American college football players
Category:People from Amory, Mississippi
Category:Sportspeople from Monroe County, Mississippi
Category:Amory High School alumni
Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen