Grandson listens to Hoeppner’s whispers

Fox inspired by grandfather’s push  to ‘don’t ever quit.’

Cincinnati Christian football player Tucker Fox is the grandson of former Miami coach Terry Hoeppner. Staff photo by Nick Daggy

Staff photo by Nick Daggy Cincinnati Christian football player Tucker Fox is the grandson of former Miami coach Terry Hoeppner. Staff photo by Nick Daggy

ENLARGE PHOTO

Mesoraco's slam sends Reds over Braves
7:38 a.m.
Lost chances cost Cougars
5/25/12
Badin advances to regional final
5/25/12
West hopes to keep winning
5/25/12
Is third time the charm for senior?
5/25/12
> More sports headlines

By Jay Morrison, Staff Writer Updated 1:42 AM Thursday, October 6, 2011

FAIRFIELD TWP. — Standing in his accustomed spot on the sidelines as a scrawny, 140-pound freshman, wondering if he would ever get a chance to go in and play, Tucker Fox kept hearing his grandfather’s voice whispering through the ear hole in his helmet.

“He had all kinds of little tidbits of advice, but his main thing was always ‘Don’t ever quit,’” Fox said of his grandpa, the late Terry Hoeppner. “He taught me everything I knew about football. But that’s the one thing really stuck with me. Never quit.”

Ironically, Hoeppner, the former Miami University and Indiana coach, was a big reason why Fox never got to start playing football until his freshman year at Cincinnati Christian.

“Grandpa always said you want to be in a good coaching environment where they teach you the right things,” Fox said. “He didn’t think that was happening at the younger levels.”

But Fox loved the game. He loved going to campus on Saturday afternoons to watch “the pros,” as he called them. He loved the idea of one day putting on his own shoulder pads and helmet and testing his mettle.

Finally given the chance, he was actually thinking about quitting.

“It was hard, it was challenging and it was a little discouraging seeing all your buds out there playing, thinking ‘Dang, I wish I was out there,’” Fox said. “But I followed my grandpa’s advice and didn’t quit.”

He dedicated himself to getting better and stronger and gained 50 pounds between his freshman and sophomore seasons. He won the starting job at offensive guard and defensive end and has been a fixture in the lineup ever since, sliding over to center for his senior season.

“He plays both sides of the ball 100 mph,” CCS coach David Fulcher said. “He’s a very soft-spoken kid, but he is the team’s leader, spiritually and emotionally. My first day on job we had assembly in school and he was the first one who came up to me. He said, ‘Coach, I was a captain last year and I want to be captain this year. I will lead this team do anything you want me to do.’ ”

The son of Steve and Amy Fox, Tucker is a 4.1 student who wants to major in mechanical engineering. He also wants to play football at Miami, the school where his grandpa got his start in coaching.

But before he can do any of that he has four games left in a high school career that, were it not for Hoeppner’s advice, could have ended before it even began.

Four games left to turn around what currently is a four-game losing streak following a 2-0 start.

“We’re going through a tough stage right now,” Fox said. “Some teammates have quit on us, but we’re not discouraged at all.

“Tough times come,” he continued. “It’s always been talked about in the Bible. Tough times come to many things, and what makes people great is that they were able to fight through and conquer.”

Prep football Cincinnati Christian

Share this article