Fred Cox: Remembering the Inventor of the Nerf Football | NFL Films Presents

Join us in remembering Fred Cox, former Vikings placekicker, and inventor of the Nerf football.
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[@owenshores3358]

Jerry rice: nice invention Barry sanders: I remember this Chris colinsworth: I love this toy Deion sanders: B O Y L E T M E T E L L Y O U W H A T

[@gseric4721]

xD

[@Epix__]

Lol

[@caw_34]

Hi

[@wxaviere1]

Im dying🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@047Kenny]

Owen Shores speaks likes a grandad lol

[@nathanhorn7387]

NERF - Never Ending Recreational Fun Edit: Thank you @NFL Films for the love and thank you Fred Cox for the memories!

[@MJ-yu5zg]

Nice

[@marioayala803]

Ngl.

[@tonyeffinmalony]

🤯

[@thelunaticcultist5157]

500th like

[@redeye8526]

until the dog eats it

[@rapinbatches]

I remember when they came out with one that would whistle, we thought it was the coolest thing ever, lol.

[@Shinobi33]

Oh yea I remember that.

[@CDiddy-go6cg]

I had one too

[@ValensBellator]

Those were awesome too lol, didn’t they have tails?

[@rapinbatches]

@@ValensBellator no not the one I'm referring too. Those came after. The one I'm talking about was the size of a regular football, with spiral grooves on it and a Whistler on the side. Red and black split colors. Came out around 91' I think.

[@infinite_loophole]

The vortex has the tail! John Elways threw it 110 yards lol

[@footballtime5474]

Shoutout Mike Trico for actually knowing who that was lol

[@047Kenny]

Football Time I know haha football IQ right there fr

[@m3abdi]

He’s so quick even with the acronym too bad he doesn’t know what is or who he is. Sad.

[@Joe-km5ou]

And Sean Payton

[@ChrisBChronisterJr92]

Tirico*^

[@zelbongrimmage3770]

Not surprised Mile Terico would know that

[@damonm.]

Wiffle balls and Nerf footballs made kids into neighborhood Cy Young and MVP Quarterbacks when I was younger

[@uponwrath4372]

Damon M foreal man as a kid we had field day and I threw that 60 yards and won first place. Great memories

[@Sensei-Gio]

Exactly Damon!!!

[@McArthurM]

Same

[@blorgusbutthole2326]

No joke

[@skullthumper8646]

Hall of fame quarterbacks and recivers with those things.

[@kevinprendiville9429]

Freddie Kitchens looks confused lol "A nerf what?...is that like a cake?"

[@XMesandidge]

I didn’t understand when he said, “ ie or y.” It sounded like , “i-yee or waw.”

[@CHOPSTYX93]

😂😂😂

[@danejurus69]

He sounded out of breath just sitting there.

[@kevinprendiville9429]

Legend has it, when he was asked why he took the Cleveland job, Freddie replied: "Because Ohio still got steakums, and I can't risk losing out."

[@bowlofsoup12]

The Nimble Ninja that’s literally what I was gonna say lol

[@shyguy23000001]

I wanna hear Deion's top 5 toys.

[@parkerschuh8274]

Same

[@aussieaussie4848]

I want Deion to narrate children's books or do audio books with adlibs

[@GrantYT18]

Nerf football was my first football I remember this one time my mom ran over my nerf ball with her car by accident and it was completely fine afterwards we could play in the house and in the bathtub and at the park. We appreciate you Fred. rest my brother.

[@teamrevenge5390]

Bathtub?

[@GrantYT18]

@@teamrevenge5390 heck yeah when it wasn't a truck or boat day I was playing football by myself in the bathtub

[@andrewpolosky]

He passed?

[@Two_Lock]

@@andrewpolosky yep

[@GrantYT18]

@@andrewpolosky yeah unfortunately bro

[@abcapone]

I had a nerf football R.I.P. to him🕊

[@howedelamitri]

Dog? 🤔

[@damoreno713]

Same

[@eddyzow]

@neo robertson well, there’s a bird emoji...

[@bradenkorody1176]

@@eddyzow maybe a seagull took it at the beach

[@Muffledbox]

neo robertson I think he was talking about Fred cox who died 4 days before this was posted

[@Shootskas]

"I could clutch this. I could grip this and rip this sucker." - John Gruden

[@battleboat12]

Bet he dreams he could do that to Derrick Carr.

[@hellshakeyanojr3584]

what a Gruden Grinder

[@saleen367]

RIP Fred Cox ... many happy memories of his Vikings career and of course the Nerf Football.

[@terrell3664]

saleen367 stfu no rip

[@terrell3664]

Survival I don’t care stfu no rip

[@julianmarta7494]

Squidward Tentacles wtf

[@Muffledbox]

Terrell Brown R.I.P

[@Muffledbox]

Julian Marta dudes trynna act tough lol

[@EverythingIsGuchi]

Gotta thank this guy for making not just mine, but millions of boys and girls’ childhood a fun. RIP

[@MikeWill30]

He passed away 1 week ago. Rest easy 🙏

[@assholio203]

One time when I was a kid I punted one of these in the house and it hit my mom right in the face. One of the most terrifying moments of my life

[@leviweber1384]

That's hilarious! I love it

[@AC-fv7kt]

Then when she wasnt looking you put something in her drink to calm her down.😂😂😂

[@EvoDidThat]

RIP, ima go cop a nerf ball right now for my guy Fred, rest in paradise

[@danw4237]

Fred seems like such a genuinely good guy. Really sorry to hear him passing. RIP

[@richardadams4928]

He was a great kicker for a long time, I remember him well. Glad he had such success.

[@saulgoodman2912]

Should be in the hall of fame

[@jasonbobadilla4724]

I bet Blair Walsh would have killed to have one of these lol

[@aidankearns2102]

@Harry Engel yeah wasn't he like 8/8 from 50+

[@blitzir]

R.I.P. Fred Cox, the man who brought happiness by a foam football.

[@dantheman5745]

So apparently I have Fred Cox to thank for half of all the fun I had in my childhood...and about 90% of the times I got grounded. :-) Homework, shmomework. There's a game of NERF football that needs playing!

[@masta51]

The man that created the deepest ball our little arms could do. The deeper someone ran the longer the whistle would go. Those really helped kids perfect a tight spiral just to hear the ball.

[@Klos1neMN]

I told him, "You're gonna have a lot of sore legged little kids running around." Haha, I'm glad he had the foresight to know that going lighter and softer was the way to go. Growing up my friends and I all had one and would take them everywhere. So many memories.

[@cfapps7865]

RIP Freddie.

[@Zephyrr_13]

RIP to the legendary creator of the NERF football.

[@BeaseGaming]

You will never know how many lives you've changed. Rest in Peace, legend.

[@totalrobot]

Man dad always said "Want to NEVER have to work again? Invent something!"

[@jealius4340]

I have seen a lot of these NFL mini docs, but never have I seen all the head coaches being this excited 😂😂

[@NolanSchuster4]

Thank you Fred Cox. You made my childhood recess sessions 1000x better than it ever would have been. I have memories of pick sixes against kids I hated and insane imaginary sideline grabs. Thank you man.

[@turkey274yt5]

RIP to a 🐐🙏

[@blazingbattlehawk9626]

A nerf football was the last gift my uncle gave me before he passed away. I wish I still had it

[@abcapone]

R.I.P. Fred Cox

[@NumberOneChina]

Gruden the John Daly of HC's just used the phrase "Grip it and rip it." I can die happy

[@ilovememes6199]

I didn't know he had passed and when I found this video I literally cried

[@Jbobloochjr3]

If we had rain and had recess inside, we'd play silent speed ball. Passing the ball around and if you dropped it you had to sit down til game was over. Also thank you for the vortex ball too!!

[@Retired-jr3qs]

I'm 57 and remember Fred Cox as a good kicker and now inventing a toy I played with. RIP Mr. Cox

[@oldschooleddie2057]

Thank you Fred! RIP!

[@lizaphair5882]

Jerry Rice: oh you could throw it in the house Tony Gonzalez: ReMemBer tHe sMeLl oF ThEsE tHings *sniffs the ball*

[@TheBaronVSP]

My favorite was the whistler. My brothers, my friends and myself would play games of 500 for hours on end, just chucking the nerf ball as high and far as we could to get it to whistle the best.

[@martynaber1605]

R.I.P. Mr. Cox. Thanks for your invention. Skol!

[@AKKillerMike]

I remember having one that was black with rubber “spikes” on both sides of the laces. Miss it

[@Joaquin-227]

RIP Mr. Cox and thanks for the memories.

[@rich_v]

The nerf football was my first touchdown pass ever. In middle school in P. E class, maybe a 20-25 yard throw. Ever since then, I've fallen in love with playing qb.

[@markmiranda9461]

That guy has probably made so many HOF players because of a toy. That’s crazy. Usually kids first interest in football is a nerf. Never knew.

[@garypulliam3740]

I won several street pickup championships and quarterback M.V.P.s playing with Nerf footballs. So did my three brothers, sixteen cousins, twenty-seven neigborhood friends, and the weird kid down the street.

[@terrell3664]

Gary Pulliam I don’t care 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@delan_lan]

DAX Nwosu Jr I do lol

[@terrell3664]

Delan_lan good for you🤷🏾‍♂️

[@henaresadlier]

@@terrell3664 that some lebron levels of passive aggressive my guy...

[@nicford1486]

I remember being a kid. Watching Ricky Williams on tv, and having my dad throw a nerf football to me in the house while he sat on the couch and I pretended I was in the nfl. I even put on some gloves (like winter gloves lol). Nerf was awesome.

[@PDBO]

Thank you, Mr. Cox. My condolences to your family.

[@jaykay4367]

Thanks for posting in remembrance of a great dude who bought kids of the 70s and 80s a great toy.

[@MA_808]

RIP..wish I had seen this long before Mr. Cox passed away...

[@jackkaczmarski]

Legend.

[@justwondering1967]

Inventions of that magnitude rarely go as smoothly for the inventor as it did for Fred Cox. I am glad it did, he deserves it (and so does his neighbor who sparked the idea).

[@hiattpurcell1794]

the best part about this is how every single one of the people they interviewed has a nerf anecdote to tell. from playing with them at the beach, which brother was better with a real football vs nerf, getting chewed up by the dog etc. this ball has had a profoundly positive affect on so many people and probably coming up on 100% of people in professional football. players, coaches, even the ball boys.

[@bbq_steak5632]

4:27. Billy “Whiteshoes”Johnson celebration dance.

[@itsyeboiblayt7472]

Damon Gibson my cousin lol

[@pcm5528]

I got excited when I seen it 😂😂

[@garypulliam3740]

I saw that!

[@jaytaylor9049]

This is the man who started backyard super bowls

[@natsfan8872]

Jay Taylor 🤣

[@jvjustvibes9103]

I remember as a kid I had a giants one and Steelers one. Me and my friends would play all day on Saturdays with those footballs in the front yard. Good times

[@kevinroylancephotography9437]

The spiral model came out when I was a kid. I got one for Christmas and felt sooo cool

[@gseric4721]

When I was little, we'd always get the off-brand dollar store ones, but when our cousins/friends came with the nerf balls, I knew that there was something special to them. Never going to forget those fun times :)

[@gilbertcazares634]

I had that orange and black one, RIP to a man that started my love for the game with throwing NERF footballs around. SKOL VIkes baby

[@infinitevincent381]

Fred Cox was one of my close friends grandfathers. I feel really bad for him :(

[@arborlawns]

Love this old man

[@jarrodkeller592]

Thank you Mr. Cox for giving kids of all ages the greatest toy of all time. RIP, I'm sure you'll be invited to many NERF pick up games in heaven.

[@xvkxcrazykilla7245]

“You can throw em in the house and nothing will break” My brother: throws it like an absolute missile and glass breaks* Me: :o

[@CollectionTHX1138]

yep everything in Jerry Rice's house must've been made out of NERF lol

[@grafeebabee]

I broke the lamp in my room, and my mom broke my @ss with the belt and I broke the door trying to run out of the house! Lol! 🤣

[@hellshakeyanojr3584]

your brother should sign with the Jets as a QB, they need one right about now

[@zachbrown706]

*Chris Collinsworth remembering the nerf football* “Now here is a ball that just revolutionized children’s toys”

[@CMEZ97]

A true legend! Thank you Mr. Cox for all the childhood memories

[@greengelacid2061]

what a great piece of history to share...thank you...

[@MrRoach0662]

Just about every kid was lucky enough to have one of these rip sir.

[@Skippz2282]

Thank You Fred Cox 🙏🏽

[@DDCOPE]

Rip, to him he was a legend.

[@stillthinking3740]

Damn that's amazing. We all grew up tossing those things around

[@noahshaultz1730]

Imagine having that Vikings nerf ball signed by Mr. Cox 🙌🏻

[@CactusZachh]

this legend made my childhood so much fun. thank you 🐐👑

[@timgeist1450]

I grew up in Minnesota and remember getting his autograph as a kid.

[@donsolos]

Seriously who didnt have a nerf football when they were a kid. Perfect toy for a kid. Let you act like you were playing the real sport

[@howardbaxter2514]

Love those balls. The ones with the tail at the end were also great. Loved hearing the whistle.

[@chrisbush473]

howard baxter The vortexes were my favorite. And yes the John Elway edition with the whistle was amazing

[@raydavis74]

Greatest Christmas gift when I was a kid.

[@RemolzMangoz]

That is so legit! Awesome documentary NFL Films!

[@jpmnky]

Legendary.

[@Elliesbow]

I had many but I’ll never forget the weather blitz football. That commercial was so revolutionary and the other football where you could open it up and make plays with your finger. Good times!

[@Kevin257]

Thank you sir for making my childhood fun ❤️

[@george_of_the_jungle]

RIP Freddie

[@abestang707]

Beautiful!!

[@jarednemec653]

Fred Cox nailed kicks turned around and sat tf back down... Legend

[@Obrian81]

Such great memories playing Backyard football with Netf football's.. I still got a few

[@gabrielbevente9130]

He is such an icon, what a good guy

[@harrydrury4734]

For sure ! For myself and the boys ín the sandlot , We all had óne or twó . I got one every Christmas and birthday . Thank you for the best tóy ever created ,

[@lroscinski5046]

One of my favorite toys of the 90s ! the one that was mini that looked like a missle, you could throw that thing so far !

[@zennergoat8029]

Recess football was the greatest time of my life!

[@BostonSportsFan-jh8dz]

Even on my 8th grade field trip we had one of these we had a blast

[@frazierk300]

My favorite football of all time was my Cleveland Browns nerf football lol and my friend had a bengals one so we’d have to take turns every other game. Nostalgia lol

[@socjocke]

This just made me feel happy.

[@mikejohnson9606]

Thank you. REST IN PEACE.

[@dreamerdude100]

This brings back childhood memories.

[@andersoni.7472]

such a pure guy R.I.P.

[@jadanvang3156]

My first football ever

[@saxwaxbruce]

what a humble man. Fred the goat

[@kevinl4]

AMAZING.....Never knew it was Fred Cox!

[@brossquad9588]

Rip to the legend we will never forget him he’s the all time best kicker

[@VictorReyes-rc9xp]

One of my favorite toys growing up...

[@humblewisdom8976]

Had no idea Fred invented that in my back yard. I grew up a die hard Vikings fan watched him every week. When the nerf came out our neighborhood group had one right away. It was the best because we played a lot in the winter and a regular ball was hard as a rock. It also floats for water sports. Thanks for the memories, Go Vikes!!!

[@lostinspacerobinson1527]

Let's go VIKINGS , I'm gona go get me a couple of them nerf football's in his memory !!

[@LetsGoBruinsGA]

My favorite was the one I got when I was around 10 I think and it was one of the ones from the series of NFL team logo ones so it had either a falcons logo or patriots logo since those are the two teams in our house we cheer for living in GA but my dad being from NE. Good memories. Definitely kept it away from the dog but he got into the backup foam football. Good memories.

[@Ramboost007]

Super Bowl LI in your house must have been fun.

[@halsmith3771]

On any given Saturday afternoon back in the 70’s & early 80’s I would rush for 350 yards, score 15 TD’s(1 kickoff return, 4 rushing, 5 receiving, 3 throwing and 2 pick 6’s). I would also have 45 catches for 500 yards. I would have another 500 through the air, and another 200 kick return yards- we never punted and always went for it on 4th down no matter how far it was for a first. It was nothing to have over 1,500 all purpose yards on a Saturday. All with a NERF. It’s what made us IMMORTALS! AND THATS WHY WE LOVE THE GAME OF FOOTBALL!

[@billschauberger1150]

From Minnesota,RIP -Fred Cox was a very good man.Yes,we too had a Nerf football.

[@ZyrnC]

RIP to Fred Cox

[@joovhz6341]

who else remember opening the nerf football and enjoying that *smell*