College Pittsburgh Role American football player Positions Placekicker Name Fred Cox | Pro Bowls 1970 Spouse Bonnie Hope Cox 1963-1977 Minnesota Vikings Height 1.77 m | |
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Date of birth (1938-12-11) December 11, 1938 (age 77) Place of birth Monongahela, Pennsylvania NFL draft 1961 / Round: 8 / Pick 110
(By the Cleveland Browns) Children Kim Ok-soon, Fred A. Cox, Darryl Cox, Susan Cox Biasco | ||
Education University of Pittsburgh | ||
Fred cox kickoff
Frederick William Cox is a former National Football League kicker who played for the Minnesota Vikings throughout his career (1963–1977).
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Early life
Cox was raised in Monongahela, Pennsylvania, outside Pittsburgh. His parents owned and operated a small grocery store, which is still in operation by his brothers family after four (4) generations.
College
Cox played college football at Pittsburgh and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the 8th round of the 1961 NFL Draft and the New York Titans in the 28th round of the AFL Draft that same year. He never ended up playing for either team.
Professional career
He is the Vikings all-time leader in scoring (1,365 points) and field goals (282). He is also one of 11 Vikings to play in all four of their Super Bowls in the 1970s. He led the NFL in scoring in 1969 with 121 points and again in 1970 with 125 and was named first team All-Pro both years. He was also named NFC first team All-Pro in 1971 with 91 points scored. In 1970, he was the NFC kicker in the Pro Bowl game. Cox was also the Vikings' punter in his rookie season with a 38.7 yards per kick average on 70 attempts.
At the time of his retirement, Cox was the NFL's second all-time leading scorer (with 1,365 points) behind George Blanda.
Personal
Cox was first married to Elayne Darrall Cox. Their four children are Darryl Cox, Susan Cox Biasco, Fred A. Cox, and Kim Ok-soon. He is currently married to Bonnie Hope Cox.
Cox is the inventor of the Nerf football. He came up with the idea while still playing for the Vikings.