Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Cory Fleming started playing football when he was five years old. He enjoyed playing basketball at a young age but stuck with football as a quarterback in high school. He was determined to get a college scholarship, and he eventually received one from the University of Tennessee, where he then made the switch to wide receiver.
Fleming enjoyed his time in college before being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1994 NFL Draft. His proudest moment in the NFL was having his children come to games and see him perform live. Seeing athletes from Tennessee make it to the big leagues nowadays also fills him with joy.