The Chargers added another piece to their defensive line on Wednesday, signing former Rams and Panthers lineman Morgan Fox.
Here are four things to know about the newest Bolt.
Best Buds
It’s evident from their social media that Fox and fellow offseason signee Sebastian Joseph-Day are close friends. Joseph-Day tweeted last weekend that he had caught a fish that thanks to Fox inviting him out, and posted a hearty congratulations comment on Instagram when Fox announced that he had gotten engaged this April. The former Rams teammates, current training partners, and close friends will now be planning hangouts in the opposing backfield as Chargers.
Former Quarterback
Like many NFL players, Fox’s football journey started by taking snaps under center. In an interview in 2017, Fox said that the main reason he switched to defensive end had little to do with a desire to play any specific position. He just wanted to play, period. After moving from Virginia to Colorado to a school that was stronger at QB, Fox decided to play defensive end full-time in order to see the field more often. With only two seasons of high school experience at the position, he took an offer to head to local Division II CSU-Pueblo, where the rest of his career took off.
College Rivals
Fox will be familiar with a number of current Chargers when he steps into the building for the first time. There are the obvious ones: Joseph-Day and head coach Brandon Staley, both of whom were members of the Rams organization in 2020, Fox’s last season in LA. But Fox will also get the chance to reminisce about college ball with Austin Ekeler, a former rival of his. Ekeler played collegiately at Division II Western State, which has since been renamed Western Colorado. One of their biggest in-state rivals just so happens to be the ThunderWolves of CSU-Pueblo, where Fox overlapped with Ekeler from 2013-15. Fox has the upper hand as far as gloating goes, as Pueblo won all 3 games and kept Ekeler out of the end zone each time.
McGilvra Disciple
Eddy McGilvra’s brand as a pass-rush trainer has exploded in recent seasons, beginning in 2019 with Broncos 5th round pick Justin Hollins and expanding today into an empire of mostly Rams or former Rams – John Franklin-Myers, Greg Gaines, Hollins, Joseph-Day, and Fox all count themselves as clients of McGilvra. Something is in the water at his Thousand Oaks training facility, as nearly every player he’s worked with has grown into a strong contributor, whether in LA or elsewhere. Keeping Fox local to McGilvra could result in a rebound season after a disappointing 2021 in Carolina.
