The D.C. Defenders placed linebacker Francis Bernard on the suspended list on Wednesday according to the UFL Transactions page.
Francis Bernard is six foot one and weighs 230 pounds. The 29-year-old from South Jordan, Utah, made 27 tackles (16 solo, 11 assists), one tackle for loss, half a sack, and one pass breakup in five games for the D.C. Defenders in 2024.
The Defenders drafted Bernard in the sixth round (42nd pick) in the 2023 XFL Supplemental Draft. In 2023, Bernard made 51 tackles (34 solo, 17 assists), six tackles for loss, four pass breakups, four quarterback hits, half a sack, and one forced fumble in eight games, of which three were starts.
Before D.C., Bernard signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent on May 4, 2020. He played two seasons in Dallas making 10 tackles (3 solo, 7 assists) in 21 games.
Collegiately, Bernard played two seasons at BYU (2015-16) making 79 tackles (47 solo, 32 assists), 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three interceptions for 39 yards, three pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in 22 games for the Cougars.
Then, Bernard transferred to Utah (2018-19) making 123 tackles (69 solo, 54 assists), 12.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions for 80 yards, one touchdown, six pass breakups, and one forced fumble in 26 games for the Utes. He was named First Team All-PAC 12 in 2019.
