The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2022 THE WOLVERINE 61 BY ANTHONY BROOME O ffensive lineman Chris Fox joined the football program as a member of the 2013 recruiting class, where he was ranked a four-star prospect and the No. 117 player in the nation per the On3 Consensus. Members of his freshman group included offensive lineman Pat- rick Kugler, tight end Jake Butt, line- backer Ben Gedeon and others that he remains close with to this very day. Offensive line coach Darrell Funk and head coach Brady Hoke were the men leading the charge in his recruitment. Fox recalled the moment he knew he wanted to wear a winged helmet. "The coaches were phenomenal," Fox said. "The coolest thing that I saw throughout the entire recruiting process was when they took me up to The Big House on my visit, and it was snowing and the lights were on. There wasn't a soul in the stadium. Looking at the snow and everything about The Big House was just like, 'Holy cow. This needs to happen and I'm going here.' "The stereotypical answer of aca- demics and all that good stuff that comes with it was a major turning point. I got to meet some of the guys in the class on the official visit, and we clicked right away. We're still best friends through college and to this day." However, Fox's football trajectory was not the same as his peers in the class. He entered the program on a torn ACL and redshirted as a freshman, then dealt with a bevy of other injuries during the 2014 season, playing only a single snap in the opener versus Appalachian State. When Jim Harbaugh took over as the program's head coach, Fox decided it was time to pivot and medically retire. "I buried on the depth chart," Fox said. "I knew there were guys in front of me, and it was just tough sledding. I knew football doesn't last forever, and it ends at different times for everybody. "I came the decision that I wanted to be able to play catch with my kids when I'm 30, which is fast approaching. Ulti- mately it came down to my decision and wanting to call it quits and just enjoy life and see what else I could do for the University of Michigan." Fox was able to stay with the program on a medical scholarship and served as a student assistant through the 2016 season. Harbaugh was supportive of the move and made it known that it was a personal decision if he were to walk away. "When I got hurt, he made me know that it was my decision," Fox said. "He wasn't telling me I was done playing ball. He laid out all my options for me. He took care of me. The team was prac- ticing before the trip to Rome, and I was just shooting practice and filming it. We were jogging off the field one day, and Coach Harbaugh ran over me. 'Foxy, you're going to Rome, right?' "I told him I never got the invite. He said, 'OK, you've got the invite.' "It was graduation time. I told him I already had family coming in, so I had to stay back. I made that commitment. I thought that showed the person he was when he invited a video guy that did not need to go on the trip. That was pretty cool. "During our senior banquet, Coach Harbaugh gave me a shout-out. It's just one of those things where I wasn't ex- pecting anything. It would be no skin off my back. He went out of his way to recognize the hard work that was put in and coming back and staying around the program and making the most of my opportunity." Fox, a history major, was unsure about what his next steps would be after col- lege. His work with the video team al- lowed him to link up with his current boss, Bob White of 8K Solutions. The company sells state-of-the-art video equipment to collegiate and pro teams. Fox is now an account executive with the company. "Getting hurt is the best thing that ever happened to me because of the company that I work for now," Fox said. "Michigan WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Former U-M Lineman Chris Fox Is Helping Push The Game Forward Fox was a four-star offensive line prospect in the 2013 recruiting class. He dealt with injuries in 2013-14 before medically retiring in 2015 and serving as a student assistant. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS