Barry French (American football)

Barry Alden French (February 12, 1922 – March 16, 1990) was an American football lineman who played at both the guard and tackle positions. He played college football for Purdue in 1941, 1942, and 1946, and professional football for the Baltimore Colts from 1947 to 1950 and the Detroit Lions in 1951.

Barry French
refer to caption
Barry French, 1949
Personal information
Born:(1922-02-12)February 12, 1922
Chamberlain, South Dakota, U.S.
Died:March 16, 1990(1990-03-16) (aged 68)
Vero Beach, Florida, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school:Washington (SD)
College:Purdue
Position:Guard, tackle
NFL Draft:1951 / Round: 4 / Pick: 45
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Games:49
Player stats at PFR

Early years

French was born in 1922 at Chamberlain, South Dakota. He attended Washington High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, graduating in 1940. He enrolled at Purdue University and was awarded the freshman merit trophy at the close of spring football practice in 1941[1][2] He played at the tackle position for the Purdue Boilermakers varsity football team in 1941, 1942, and 1946. His college career was interrupted by service in the Army during World War II.[1]

Professional football

In March 1947, he signed with the played professional football with the Baltimore Colts of the All-America Football Conference.[3] He played at the tackle and guard positions for the Colts, starting all 14 games during the 1947 season.[1] He missed the 1948 season after both bones in his left forearm were broken during training camp.[4][5] He also missed part of the 1949 season when the same arm was rebroken in training camp.[5][6]

He came back from the injuries, returning to the Colts for the last half of the 1949 season. In 1950, he started 11 games for the Colts. He concluded his pro football career in 1951, appearing in 12 games for the Detroit Lions.[1]

French appeared in a total of 50 games for the Colts and Lions, including 29 as a starter.[1][7]

Family and later years

French married Jeanne d' Arc Phillips in 1950.[8] He died in 1990 in Vero Beach, Florida.[1]

References
  1. "Barry French". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  2. "Barry French: Washington High School Graduate Voted Freshman Merit Trophy". Argus-Leader. May 4, 1941. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Colts Secure New Lineman: Barry French, Purdue Tackle, Signed By Isbell". The Baltimore Sun. March 16, 1947. p. 35 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. James Ellis (July 31, 1948). "Barry French Injures Arm: Colts' Guard Suffers Fracture In Scrimmage". The Baltimore Sun. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. James Ellis (November 2, 1949). "French Still Toughie Despite Bad 'Breaks'". The Baltimore Sun. p. 58 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Barry French Hurt Again". Argus-Leader. August 3, 1949. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Barry French Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  8. "Barry French Takes a Bride in Baltimore". Argus-Leader. April 23, 1950. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
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