Nerf Football Inventor Fred Cox Dies At 80

Fred Cox, inventor of the Nerf football, has died at the age of 80. Cox was a kicker for the [...]

Fred Cox, inventor of the Nerf football, has died at the age of 80. Cox was a kicker for the Minnesota Vikings from 1963 to 1977, and is still their all-time leading scorer, tallying up 1365 points over the course of his career. In addition to his football career, Cox would go on to invent one of the most popular toys around, the Nerf football. The Vikings released a statement on Fox's passing and mourned the death of their friend and former teammate, which you can read in the full statement below (via ESPN).

"The Vikings mourn the loss of Fred Cox, one of our proudest legends and a member of the 50 Greatest Vikings," the statement reads. "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."

Vikings Quarterback Fran Tarkenton also shared some thoughts on his teammate's passing.

"He had a great brain and was a great thinker," Tarkenton told Vikings.com. "He was an intellect that I spent every morning with before we played a game. I spent more time with him than any other player. Fred was a special, special human being who will be missed."

Cox actually came up with the idea of the Nerf football while he was playing. In 1972 while Cox during his Vikings run Cox came up with the idea of a soft football to help prevent injuries to kids. That's when he teamed up with John Mattox to produce a sample of a soft foam injected football, and once Parker Brothers saw it in action, they scooped it up. The rest is history.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.

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