More Than a Football Legend

Shelley Pearson • January 31, 2020

Kicker Fred Cox played for the Minnesota Vikings from 1963-1977. He kicked in all four Vikings Super Bowls and scored 1,365 points during his career with the Vikings, an accomplishment many believe will never be beat in the future of football. He was a straight-on kicker, unlike today’s kickers who kick soccer-style.


Serving as a professional ball player was in itself a huge accomplishment, but during his years with the Vikings Fred also invented the Nerf football. He wanted kids to be able to play ball in their yards without the ball flying out of the yard. Today, millions of what has become a common household toy have sold around the world. 


Fred Cox passed away in November of 2019 and is missed by many. The Vikings said this in a statement after Fred’s death:


"The Vikings mourn the loss of Fred Cox, one of our proudest legends and a member of the 50 Greatest Vikings. A respected teammate and friend, Fred's football career as the Vikings all-time leading scorer set the stage for a life where he went on to achieve great things in business and in his community. Fred's positive energy, strength in his faith and passion for life will be missed." 
Not only was Fred an amazing football player with a strong character and the brilliant mind it took to have the ability to invent a wildly popular toy, he had a deep faith in God as well. While he played for the Vikings, he and other players on the team participated in an FCA Bible Study which was the catalyst to drive several pro athletes from Minnesota to form an FCA basketball team that would travel around the state playing games against school faculties and other groups. After these games, Fred and others would sit down with young people to share their faith stories and tell them about FCA. During this time, FCA grew steadily as these professional athletes gave credibility to the young organization.

Lu Gronseth was the MN FCA State Director in those early years and remembers Fred as a serious guy who worked hard. Lu attributes much of the increase in FCA recognition around the state to the work of Fred Cox and the other professional athletes who gave their time and finances to share about the organization. Those athletes had a tremendous impact on young people and often preferred their visits to FCA huddles of young athletes over speaking in front of large crowds of adults.

Randy Jensen has been an FCA staff member for over thirty years and remembers visiting huddles with Fred in his retirement years. One year, Randy accompanied Fred as he spoke to the entire Richfield High School varsity football team. After practice, Fred shared with the athletes during the FCA football team chapel time and bought pizzas for the twenty-five players and coaches who attended the event. It was just part of what he did, but he made a big impact on the lives of others as he invested in their lives.

Fred will always be known for his days with the Vikings as the all-time leading scorer and for his invention of the Nerf football, but for Minnesota Fellowship of Christian Athletes he will also be remembered as a person who intentionally used his platform as a professional athlete to draw others to Christ and give credibility to an organization that has since grown to over 220 huddles in 200 schools in Minnesota and has impacted thousands of students for generations. FCA is grateful for Fred’s service to the organization and the impact he and other local professional athletes made for eternity. 

Minnesota FCA invites you to get involved in reaching athletes and coaches for Christ. There are many ways to get involved including: 
We would love for you to walk alongside us, like Fred Cox and so many others, as together we shape the future of FCA in Minnesota. 

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