Chas Fox

While Fox didn't initially set out to play in the NFL, life had different plans for him. His approach to life goals was step-by-step. Seeking more playing time in high school, he honed his speed as a running back. However, a minor adjustment changed his trajectory – the simple act of wearing contacts led Fox to transition from running back to wide receiver during his sophomore year of college.

Prior to getting contacts, Fox tended to cheat on his eye exams, refusing to get glasses. Due to this challenge, Fox struggled to catch the ball while playing as a running back. After adopting the use of contacts during games, however, his catching abilities significantly improved. Fox became the all-time receiver leader at Furman University, ultimately drawing the attention of NFL scouts his senior year of college.

“Almost everybody is doing something in their life to hold them back,” Fox said. “It’s amazing once you let that go what can happen.”

Fox was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1986 draft, but also had stints playing for the then St. Louis Cardinals as well as the Buffalo Bills. During his stint with the Buffalo Bills in 1987, Fox had the opportunity to interact with four Future Hall of Famers like Andre Reed and Jim Kelly.

“What’s interesting about them and the way they went about their day to day is they were not complacent; they were very worried about keeping up with everybody,” Fox said. “When I came in from the Chiefs, Andre Reed was asking me about what all the wide receivers do for all their drills. Jim Kelly was asking me about Todd Blackledge.”

It would be this work ethic that would inspire Fox in his future endeavors.

Fox always knew that football was going to be a short-term thing, so when it was time to step away from football and transition out The league, he had an idea as to what he wanted to do; and football framed the way he looked at business.

“When you go from team to team, you look around and the difference in the players is not that much and it really comes down to strategies,” Fox said. “Strategies really made the decision, and it made sense to apply that to business.”

After a 25-year hiatus from The League, Fox took the initiative to reconnect. Attending a chapter meeting in New Jersey proved pivotal, as it introduced him to the NFLPA and The Trust, revealing the array of benefits available.

With the help of The Trust, Fox was able to obtain his MBA, a degree that helped create his passion for learning, which ultimately led him to the path of becoming a professor at Seton Hall University in New Jersey.

Fox and his family, especially his son, have had the opportunity to utilize numerous health and wellness resources such as the Brain and Body Assessment at Cleveland Clinic.

Currently relishing life as an MBA and DBA recipient, Fox is the proud business owner and CEO of Micro-Mark, a power tool company designed “for craftsmen who want precision”. Fox has also written three books: You Can't Be Too Fast, How to Turn Your Idea into a Successful Product and How to Run an Internet Business Now, Aligning Modern Academic Principles with Professional Best Practices Post Pandemic.