Andy Fox (V3)

**Andrew Roland Fox** (August 11, 1900 - July 25, 2001), also nicknamed **ARF**, was an American football player, security guard, chimney sweep, author and philosopher. He played as a running back for the Green Bay Badgers for ten seasons.

## Early life

Andy Fox was born in Tampa to restaurant worker Venus Fox (1863 - 1944) and Civil War veteran Elon Fox (1836 - 1908), who retired from the Marine Corps two years before Andy's birth. He had a big sister, Jasmin (1895 - 1970), a police officer for the Tampa PD, and a Welsh corgi, Butkus. Some sources say that it was Elon's military genes that gave Andy his athletic strength.

Fox tried out for his middle school football team, but he didn't make the cut. Feeling the need to get stronger, he joined the weightlifting club, becoming its vice-president at age 13. He successfully joined his high school football team, becoming captain during his junior/senior year.

In 1918, Fox accepted a full athletic football scholarship from Tampa University. He also studied philosophy.

## Football career

Fox made himself eligible for the 1922 NFL draft. He was drafted in the second round by the Green Bay Baggers. He joined the team as a running back. In the last play of a 1923 game against the New Enhland Hoodies, he ran the ball up the middle, but was unable to score. The Baggers finished eight in the league.

During Fox's third season in 1925, a natural disaster devastated the home stadium. He organized a volunteer cleanup effort with his team. In his fourth season, to clean up his image in hopes of getting a lucrative endorsement deal from Adidas, Fox started volunteering at a homeless shelter. In 1927, Fox dropped a potential game-winning touchdown pass on the last play against the Indiana Clots. The Baggers finished as runners up in the league. As a result, Fox won his first Most Improved Playing award for his improvement from his 1926 season. After Fox's sixth season in 1928, when the Baggers finished as runners up again, he won his second MIP award.

In 1932, after reaching his milestone of ten seasons, Fox was summoned for a doping test by league officials. By an unlucky coincidence, he failed the test. Although he was technically banned from athletic competitions only for five years, this marked the end of his football career, as he found himself unable to play again, even when the ban had expired. Over the years, Fox had made allegations against the NFL that they had treated him unfairly during the tests and that the results were tampered. The conclusion to this idea has not been reached.

### Security job

In 1949, after his first twenty-seven years in the spotlight ended, Fox started looking for a new career. After five application rejections and two political campaign failures, he was hired for the position of security guard for Hamilton and Sons.

In 1955, Fox was almost fired from his job. However, he seduced his supervisor, Ellie, into keeping it. This happened again the next year, and again in 1958, 1959, 1965, and for the final time in 1966. In 1969, he was forced to retire from Hamilton and Sons after twenty years, being "too old" at age 69 to continue guarding.

### Chimney sweeping and graduate school

A year after his retirement from his security guard career, Fox successfully applied for The Diggler Company's 1970 opening for apprentice chimney sweep. He earned a promotion to chimney sweep in 1972. In 1986, his services were terminated, four years before he had the chance to retire, again being considered too old for the job. He enrolled in graduate school to continue his studies in philosophy. Fox completed graduate school in 1988.

### Law school

Despite having no intentions of becoming a lawyer or judge, Fox decided he should still have some knowledge in law. He attended law school from 1988 to 1991, becoming one the oldest law school graduates at age 91.

## Writing career

In 1991, Fox put pencils and pens to paper and started a new position as writer for Trump Publishing (though he did not write for Donald Trump). His novels include a variety of subjects, both fiction and real life. He told many stories of his past careers, especially his experience in football, sharing how much of an honnor it was to play, even when he was kicked out over the fateful failed drug test.

Fox continued writing for a decade until his death in 2001.

## Personal life

Andy married Aretha Fingerwell (1900 - 1980) in 1925. Fingerwell was an architect for King and Handy. The two had met in college, sophomore year. They had six children and eight grandchildren:

Children

- DeShawn (born 1920); teacher at Tampa Public Schools

- Chris (born 1924); grocer for Swagger Grocery

- Marvin (born 1925); mail carrier for The City of Tampa

- Aria (born 1927); receptionist at Onyx Automotives

- Pheobe (born 1930); Junior's Cafe employee

- Robin (born 1939); Dance Instructor for Lincoln Dance Studio

Grandchildren

- Tisha (born 1948); pilot at James Airlines

- David (born 1960); firefighter for Tampa Fire Department

- Virginia (born 1964); marine biologist at The Houston Group

- Tiana (born 1963; adopted in 1974); jewler for Elana Jeweler

- Payton (born 1973)

- Daevon (born 1977)

- Perry (born 1978)

- Ignacio (born 1979)

## Death

Fox died of natural causes on July 25, 2001, aged 100. He is survived by his six children, eight grandchildren and nieces and nephews.