Rufus French
American football player (born 1978)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.[1] He was also a member of the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL).
| No. 9 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Tight end |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 15, 1978 |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 256 lb (116 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Amory (Amory, Mississippi) |
| College | Ole Miss |
| NFL draft | 1999: undrafted |
| Career history | |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Early life
Joel Rufus French played football and baseball at Amory High School in Amory, Mississippi.[2][3] He was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 30th round of the 1996 MLB June Amateur Draft.[4][5][6]
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.[7][8][9] 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.[10] He chose to forgo his senior season and enter the 1999 NFL draft.[11][12]
Professional career
French signed with the Seattle Seahawks after going undrafted in the 1999 NFL draft.[13] He missed the 2000 season while recovering from a knee injury. He was released by the Seahawks on August 5, 2001.[14]
French was signed by the Green Bay Packers on March 26, 2002.[14] He was released by the Packers on July 23, 2002.[14]
Legal issues
In April 2024, French was charged for his alleged involvement in an over $70 million fraud case.[15][3] 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.[15]