At a Glance
Fred Stokes is a nice guy. When he was a senior in college, his friend, Mrs. Snell suggested that she worked with a girl that he needed to meet. He politely declined. He was already seeing someone. One year later, Fred found himself in the middle of a 24-day NFL strike. When he went home to Vidalia, Georgia, his old friend, Mrs. Snell was again insistent that Fred meet her friend. Even though Fred was still seeing someone, out of respect for an old friend, he promised to come by after church, but then forgot! Mrs. Snell was so upset with him, that Fred dropped everything on Monday afternoon to drive his motorcycle over to her house and get this meeting over with. He determined that he would do the nice thing, go in meet the girl and then promptly leave. He was so sure of this that he left the keys to his motorcycle in the ignition!Three hours later, Fred had to acknowledge that Mrs. Snell was obviously onto something. He and Regina talked and talked! What began as a nice gesture became a sweet friendship. Over the next several weeks, Fred and Regina grew closer. One cold evening after church, they were walking in the chilly night air when Fred realized that he had forgotten his coat, but he didn’t care because he was enjoying his time with Regina. That’s when he knew he was starting to fall in love with her. Fred was conflicted because he had not intended to develop feelings for Regina, he already had a girlfriend. He spent a lot of time in prayer trying to see what God would have him do. As they grew closer, Fred and Regina prayed a lot and he knew what he had to do. Regina was the woman for him. The couple married in February of 1989, and three years later, they welcomed their first child, Lance. Fred was overcome with emotions as he witnessed the birth of his baby boy. He knew that he would do anything for his new family. The following year, Fred was playing an away game with the Los Angeles Rams when his wife went into labor with their second child. Coach Chuck Knox said, “Go take care of your family.” Fred left his team in San Francisco, and ran into the delivery room to be present for the birth of Landon. A short while later, the family was completed when Luke was born in 1995.Fred and Regina strive to raise their children with the Christian values they learned growing up. Fred’s mom was only 15 years old when he was born, and he was influenced by his Great Aunt and Uncle who taught him what it means to be a family. They loved each other and they loved the Lord, so Fred saw firsthand what a family looks like. He knew that he wanted that kind of love for his children.At home, Fred strives to be authentic with every aspect of his relationship with Regina and the boys. He makes a point to show his wife love and affection and will often scoop her up in an embrace as they dance across the floor. If he and Regina have a disagreement in front of the kids, he makes sure to ask for forgiveness in front of them as well. He shares his failures with them so that he can then share the forgiveness of God with them.When asked about the challenges that children face today, Fred says that kids mistakenly put their faith in things like money and wealth. The media glorifies prosperity with things like the extravagant lifestyles of celebrities on MTV Cribs. What they learn is that money will bring them peace and happiness. The greatest challenge is that this gives kids a false sense of security. The reality is that the only true peace and happiness come from a relationship with God.Since retiring from the NFL in 1997, Fred has been using his life experiences both on and off the field to motivate a change to excellence across the nation through the formation of Fred Stokes Youth Ranch. In his spare time, Fred enjoys spending time with his boys riding bikes and horses, playing basketball and going to the movies. He and Regina enjoy spending time together taking leisurely walks, sitting quietly together or window shopping.When asked what advice he would give to other fathers, Fred says, “Your family needs your time. Boys end up walking in the Dad’s footsteps, so if you are absent, abusive, a workaholic or a womanizer, that’s what your boys will be. Little girls end up marrying someone like their dads. So show them what it looks like to be a man and a husband.”The years of success in the NFL didn’t change who Fred Stokes is. He is still a nice guy . . . a nice guy who puts his family first and cares about those less fortunate. That’s what makes Fred Stokes an All Pro Dad.
