SAN DIEGO -– Long before Hollywood portrayed Navy SEALs in movies such as “Zero Dark Thirty” and “American Sniper,” Chicago Bears head coach John Fox learned first-hand the qualities that define a SEAL.
His stepfather, Ron Fox, was a member of the elite military unit, and John Fox learned attributes, including the importance of teamwork, from his stepfather that have influenced his coaching career.
“There are a lot of correlations, but I never want to compare it,” Fox said in a recent interview with ESPN.com. “Serving your country in whatever role, especially when you are on foreign soil in harm’s way or downrange or whatever terminology you want to put on it, that’s a little more ultimate than what we do.
“But there is carryover. For example, what you are looking for in guys and what teamwork is. Doing something for somebody that is bigger than just you. That holds true for both.”
The Bears’ trip to San Diego for "Monday Night Football" is a homecoming of sorts for Fox. Born in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Fox moved to the San Diego area in 1970 after his mother, Kaye, married Ron in the mid-1960s. John adopted Ron’s last name and says he considers his stepfather to be his dad. Fox did not meet his biological father until later in life.
Ron Fox, who’s in his 80s, now resides 45 minutes north of San Diego in a community with other retired servicemen and servicewomen. And while the rigors of travel are expected to keep Ron away from Qualcomm Stadium on Monday, his influence is never far from the veteran coach.
“I think it’s unique to have a dad who was a Navy SEAL, because he was a Navy SEAL before people knew what Navy SEALs were,” Fox said. “Even as a young boy growing up I wasn’t sure what a Navy SEAL was, but I heard from my buddies’ dads what a hero he was. He won some pretty serious medals over there in three tours in Vietnam.”
The impact of Ron on his stepson is never hard to find.
Fox uses motivational placards to drive home the importance of teamwork. Upon accepting the Bears’ job Jan. 16, Fox had signs installed around the facility to remind players to work together.
One sign in the players’ locker room reads, "It’s amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit."
“He’s big on telling us that it’s not just about one guy or two guys, it’s about the whole group and the greater good,” Bears kicker Robbie Gould said. “Coach Fox will occasionally reference the Navy SEALs. He’ll talk about the Navy SEAL family, and how they are some of the hardest and toughest-minded individuals out there. He’s mentioned how the Navy SEALs train in adverse conditions at their training complexes around the country. That’s the mindset he’s trying to instill in us.
“I think you see the difference in how we play compared to last year. Coach Fox has really changed the culture inside the building in a short amount of time. Not everyone on the outside can see it yet, but the change has happened.”
Bears defensive end Jarvis Jenkins remembers Fox sharing a story about the SEALs in training camp.
“He talked about how they determine who becomes a Navy SEAL ... the process they go through,” Jenkins said. “Fox would say that when they test for Navy SEALs, the guys who everyone thinks are the toughest guys usually quit first. But the guys who weren’t thought of as the most athletic or the strongest, they were the ones that toughed it out. His point was that it doesn’t matter who is the biggest or the strongest, it’s about who has the most heart.”
Fox received a reminder of the sacrifices his stepfather made for the country when he visited service members overseas as part of a USO tour in 2010 with fellow NFL head coaches Andy Reid and Marvin Lewis and former head coach Brad Childress.
“Growing up you don’t really understand it [what serving in the military is all about],” Fox said. “Since then, being involved and being over in Afghanistan on a USO tour and seeing some of our troops display the commitment and sacrifice that we talk about even in sports ... that is to the ultimate level when you talk about serving your country.”
