Virginia firefighter once played football in the NFL: ‘I made my dream come true’

Even with six years of fighting fires under his belt, Renard Cox approaches his job with the excitement of a rookie.

“I love it. I love putting this uniform on every day,” Cox said. “If you’ve ever been at this station when tones go off, it is a rush.” The veteran of the Richmond Fire Department thrives on helping strangers in need. Protecting his roots on the city’s south side from Station 17.

“This is one of my dreams as a kid,” Cox said. “I used to come and frequently play in this district. So this is like home.”

His fellow firefighters are a true band of brothers and sisters.

“We’re not just a team. We’re a family,” he said. The 43-year-old Richmond firefighter takes pride in the task at hand.
“It could be three or four o’clock in the morning. Tones go off. I’m wide awake,” Cox said. “It’s go time."

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