Reggie Fowler
Encyclopedia
Reggie Fowler was born Reginald Dennis Fowler in February, 1959, to Al and Eloise Fowler – one of five children. Reggie is an African-American businessman who currently resides in Chandler
, Arizona
. He is the owner of Chandler-based Spiral, Inc. and Kyrene OEM, LLC (formerly OEM Logistics, Inc.) in nearby Tempe
.
When his father, Al, retired from the U.S. Air Force, he moved the family Tucson, Arizona
where he opened a restaurant called Al's Pit Bar-B-Que – Reggie worked as a dishwasher there. The original location was to become the setting for the 1974 Scorsese
film, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
. After his family relocated to the east side of town, Reggie attended Magee Jr. High School and later Sahuaro High School
, where he played football, as did his brother, Jeff.
Reggie graduated from Sahuaro in 1977 and left Tucson to attend the University of Wyoming
on a football scholarship. There he started out as a running back
, the position he played in high school, but later switched to wide receiver
and linebacker
positions. He graduated in December, 1981, with a Bachelor's degree in Social Work. Though he was not drafted
, he attended training camp
for the Cincinnati Bengals
but was cut from the team before the beginning of the season.
When the USFL
was formed in 1983, Fowler was selected to play for the Arizona Wranglers
but never left the bench. He took business courses at Arizona State University
, then took a job with Mobil Oil's chemical division, where he worked in sales. He left that position to start Spiral in 1989, reportedly with an initial investment of only $1000.
Reggie was inducted into the Sahuaro High School Alumni (Cougar Foundation) Hall of Fame in 1998.
Fowler is one of a group of investors, led by Zygmunt Wilf, who purchased the NFL's Minnesota Vikings
from previous owner, Red McCombs
, in 2005. He initially sought to be the general partner
himself, thereby becoming the first minority
owner of an NFL franchise, but withdrew his bid when he could not provide details about his stake in the ownership group. Instead, he became a limited partner in the group so that he would not lose his $20 million deposit. A very private man, he has not publicly disclosed any information about his financial situation to the media.
Chandler, Arizona
-Demographics:As of the Census of 2010, there were 236,123 people, 86,924 households, and 60,212 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 73.3% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 1.5% Native American, 8.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 21.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 8.3%...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. He is the owner of Chandler-based Spiral, Inc. and Kyrene OEM, LLC (formerly OEM Logistics, Inc.) in nearby Tempe
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
.
When his father, Al, retired from the U.S. Air Force, he moved the family Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
where he opened a restaurant called Al's Pit Bar-B-Que – Reggie worked as a dishwasher there. The original location was to become the setting for the 1974 Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
film, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore is a 1974 American drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Robert Getchell. It stars Ellen Burstyn as a widow who travels with her preteen son across the American Southwest in search of a better life, along with Alfred Lutter as her son and Kris...
. After his family relocated to the east side of town, Reggie attended Magee Jr. High School and later Sahuaro High School
Sahuaro High School
Sahuaro High School is a public high school located in Tucson, Arizona, part of the Tucson Unified School District. It is located on the far east side of the city at 545 North Camino Seco, just north of Vicksburg Street between Broadway and Speedway Boulevards. The school mascot is the Cougar, and...
, where he played football, as did his brother, Jeff.
Reggie graduated from Sahuaro in 1977 and left Tucson to attend the University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
on a football scholarship. There he started out as a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, the position he played in high school, but later switched to wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
and linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
positions. He graduated in December, 1981, with a Bachelor's degree in Social Work. Though he was not drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
, he attended training camp
NFL Training Camp
In the National Football League, training camp refers to the time before the season commences. During this time, teams will sometimes congregate at an outside location, usually a university, to conduct training camp for at least the first few weeks. This is similar to baseball's spring...
for the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
but was cut from the team before the beginning of the season.
When the USFL
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
was formed in 1983, Fowler was selected to play for the Arizona Wranglers
Arizona Wranglers
The Arizona Wranglers were a professional American Football team in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, a suburb of Phoenix.-Founding:...
but never left the bench. He took business courses at Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
, then took a job with Mobil Oil's chemical division, where he worked in sales. He left that position to start Spiral in 1989, reportedly with an initial investment of only $1000.
Reggie was inducted into the Sahuaro High School Alumni (Cougar Foundation) Hall of Fame in 1998.
Fowler is one of a group of investors, led by Zygmunt Wilf, who purchased the NFL's Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
from previous owner, Red McCombs
Red McCombs
Billy Joe "Red" McCombs is the founder of the Red McCombs Automotive Group, a co-founder of Clear Channel Communications, a former owner of the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and the Minnesota Vikings, and the namesake of the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin...
, in 2005. He initially sought to be the general partner
General partner
General partner is a legal term used to describe a person who joins with at least one other person to form a business. A general partner has responsibility for the actions of the business, can legally bind the business and is personally liable for all the business's debts and obligations.General...
himself, thereby becoming the first minority
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
owner of an NFL franchise, but withdrew his bid when he could not provide details about his stake in the ownership group. Instead, he became a limited partner in the group so that he would not lose his $20 million deposit. A very private man, he has not publicly disclosed any information about his financial situation to the media.