Reggie Fowler facts for kids

Reginald Dennis Fowler (born February 4, 1959) is an American former football player and businessman. He played as a linebacker for the Arizona Wranglers. Later, he became an investor in the Minnesota Vikings football team. He was also involved with the Alliance of American Football. Reggie Fowler owned companies named Spiral, Inc. and Kyrene OEM, LLC in Tempe, Arizona.

Early Life and Family

Reggie Fowler is one of five children born to Al and Eloise Fowler. When his dad retired from the U.S. Air Force, the family moved to Tucson, Arizona. There, his father opened a restaurant called Al's Pit Bar-B-Que. Reggie helped out by working as a dishwasher at the restaurant. The original restaurant location was even used in a 1974 movie called Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.

After his family moved to a different part of town, Reggie went to Magee Junior High School. He then attended Sahuaro High School. At Sahuaro, he played football, just like his brother, Jeff. In 1998, Reggie Fowler was honored and added to the Sahuaro High School Alumni Hall of Fame.

Football Career

Reggie Fowler finished high school in 1977. He then went to the University of Wyoming on a football scholarship. When he first started, he played as a running back, which was his position in high school. Later, he changed positions to play as a wide receiver and a linebacker.

He earned his bachelor's degree in Social Work in December 1981. Even though he was not chosen in the 1982 NFL draft, he joined the training camp for the Cincinnati Bengals. However, he was released from the team before the regular season began.

Playing in the USFL

In 1983, a new football league called the United States Football League (USFL) was created. Reggie Fowler was chosen to play for the Arizona Wranglers in this league. He played as a reserve linebacker, meaning he was a backup player. He played in the last six games of the 1983 season. His last game was on July 3, 1983.

In September 1983, most of the Wranglers' players were moved to another team, the Chicago Blitz. However, Reggie Fowler was not part of this move and was released from the team.

Business Ventures

After his football career, Reggie Fowler took business classes at Arizona State University. He then got a job in sales with the chemical division of Mobil Oil. In 1989, he left that job to start his own company, Spiral. He reportedly began Spiral with a small investment of only $1,000.

Investing in the Minnesota Vikings

In 2005, Reggie Fowler joined a group of investors led by Zygmunt Wilf. This group bought the National Football League team, the Minnesota Vikings, from its previous owner, Red McCombs. Reggie Fowler initially wanted to be the main owner, which would have made him the first minority owner of an NFL team. However, he became a limited partner instead, which means he was one of several investors. By October 2014, he was no longer an investor in the Minnesota Vikings.

Alliance of American Football

Reggie Fowler was also a significant investor in the Alliance of American Football (AAF). This was a new professional football league. His decision to stop providing funds after the first week of the season led to the league selling his share to another investor, Thomas Dundon. This change in funding contributed to the league ending its operations.