(1989-)

Who Is Nick Foles?

Born in Austin, Texas, in 1989, Nick Foles starred at quarterback for the University of Arizona before joining the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles in 2012. He made the Pro Bowl following a record-setting 2013 season, but was traded to St. Louis after a disappointing, injury-marred 2014. Returning to Philly as a backup before the start of 2017, Foles was pressed into starting duty late in the year, and went on to be named MVP of the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII win over the New England Patriots.

Nick Foles’s Stats

At times showing elite form, Foles has made his mark in the NFL and Philadelphia Eagles team record books:

• Foles tied a record with seven touchdown passes in a win over the Oakland Raiders on November 3, 2013; additionally, he became the first to throw that many TDs and finish the game with a perfect passer rating of 158.3.

• Foles ended the 2013 season with 27 touchdowns against just two interceptions, for a record 13.5 TD-INT ratio (since broken by Tom Brady). He also finished the year with an NFL-best 119.2 passer rating, then the third best in history.

• Through his first four seasons with the Eagles, Foles produced a 92.7 passer rating, tops in team history.

2017 Season and Super Bowl LII MVP

After beginning the 2017 NFL season as the Philadelphia Eagles’ backup quarterback, Nick Foles was thrust into action in Week 14 when starter Carson Wentz went down with a torn ACL. His four-touchdown performance the following week raised expectations, but a lackluster showing in a 6-0 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the regular-season finale seemingly spelled trouble for the Eagles’ playoff hopes.

However, Foles was on point in the divisional playoff matchup with the Atlanta Falcons in January 2018, completing 23 of 30 passes to keep the offense moving in a hard-fought 15-10 victory. Equally precise the following week, he also threw for 352 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-7 blowout win over the Minnesota Vikings, setting the Eagles up for a Super Bowl LII clash with Brady and the New England Patriots.

Foles continued his brilliant play in the biggest game of the year, throwing for 377 yards and three touchdowns, and even catching a TD pass to help the Eagles pull out a thrilling 41-33 victory. He was named Super Bowl MVP for his efforts in leading the Eagles to their first championship in franchise history.

2018 Season and Playoff Run

Foles began the 2018 season as Philadelphia’s starting QB, before returning to a backup role when Wentz was fully cleared for game action. However, in a near repeat of the previous year’s events, Foles resumed playing when Wentz was injured toward the end of season once again, and helped his team clinch a playoff berth on the final day.

It looked like lightning would strike twice when the Eagles upset the favored Chicago Bears in the NFC Wild Card matchup and gave the top-seeded New Orleans Saints a run for their money the following week. However, a potential game-winning drive fell short when a Foles pass went through his receiver’s hands for an interception that sealed the 20-14 loss.

Wife and Daughter

Foles met his wife, Tori Moore, while the two attended the University of Arizona; he claims she was literally the first person he saw after arriving on campus. Also an athlete, she played volleyball at Arizona, and went on to work for Nike after graduation.

Tori eventually encountered health problems: She was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), a condition in which a person’s heart rate can rapidly increase after standing, and later Lyme Disease. Noles stayed by her side, and the two were engaged during a visit to the Mayo Clinic in early 2014. They married that April, and had daughter Lily in June 2016.

Injuries

Foles raised concerns in the greater Philadelphia area when it was revealed he underwent X-rays on his ribs following the NFC title game win over Minnesota in early 2018, though the QB insisted it was just precautionary.

Participating a notoriously brutal sport, Foles has endured his share of injuries over the years. He suffered a broken collarbone halfway through 2014, ending his season after eight games. Earlier, he pushed through senior year of high school with a torn rotator cuff, before undergoing shoulder surgery.

In August 2018, during a preseason rematch with the Patriots, Foles was grabbed from behind while winding up to throw the ball, resulting in a shoulder strain. The following year, the QB suffered a broken left clavicle that knocked him out of his first game as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Nick Foles’s Contract

Foles signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract with the Eagles in March 2017, but the deal was structured to be voided if Foles was still on the roster by February 2019. It was set up to give the QB the option of leaving if he remained a backup after two years, as well as to give the Eagles a chance to capitalize on his value through a trade if Foles became a starter and played well, as he did during the team’s early 2018 playoff push.

Although the two sides restructured the terms of the contract after the Super Bowl LII win, Foles announced he was voiding his option in February 2019. One month later, he signed a four-year, $91 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars, with more than $50 million guaranteed.

The quarterback agreed to restructure his contract again upon a March 2020 trade to the Chicago Bears, leaving him with $21 million in guaranteed money and the option to void the deal after each of the following two seasons.

Eagles Career

The Eagles selected the 6’6″, 243-pound Foles in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Although they already had an established quarterback in Michael Vick, a combination of injuries and Vick’s uneven play provided the opportunity for Foles to make six starts that season.

The QB merry-go-round continued into 2013, but Foles seized the job with his record-tying seven-touchdown game in early November. The Eagles went on to win the NFC East, with Foles earning selection to the Pro Bowl, though the season ended in disappointment with a last-second playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Foles got off to a strong start in 2014, but was unable to sustain his elite play from the previous year. He completed less than 60 percent of his passes and threw nearly as many interceptions (10) as touchdowns (13), until his season-ending injury in November.

St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs

Traded to the St. Louis Rams after the 2014 season, Foles struggled through a rough 2015 and was benched halfway through the year. After the Rams selected quarterback Jared Goff with the No. 1 pick in the 2016 Draft, Foles requested his release.

Moving on to the Kansas City Chiefs, Foles saw little action as a backup, though he did play well when starter Alex Smith was injured, completing 65.5 percent of his passes. Kansas City declined to bring him back for a second season in 2017.

Man of Faith

Foles is a devout Christian, as illustrated by a Twitter bio that reads, “Believer in Jesus Christ, husband, father, son, brother.” He considered retiring from football during the 2017 offseason and began taking online seminary classes through Liberty University, before ultimately deciding to return to the sport.

Even with his return to prominence in the NFL, Foles has an eye on continuing his seminary coursework and eventually becoming a high school pastor. “In my heart, that’s what I want to do,” he has said. “I can’t play football forever.”

The Heart of Texas

Nicholas Edward Foles was born on January 20, 1989, in Austin, Texas. His parents, Larry and Melissa, both went into the restaurant business; Larry co-founded the Eddie V’s restaurant chain, cashing in by selling to a larger company for $59 million in 2011.

Raised in football-crazed Texas, the athletic Foles was inevitably drawn to gridiron competition. “High school football was the big thing growing up in Austin—Friday Night Lights, the whole deal,” he has said. “I was thrown right in it and loved it.”

High School Star

Foles starred at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, surpassing the numbers set by fellow NFL quarterback Drew Brees to finish with school records for career passing yards (5,658) and touchdowns (56). His senior year was a memorable one: After a team leader went into cardiac arrest during a game and was ruled out for the rest of the season, the Chaparrals rallied to advance to the state championship game, before succumbing to powerhouse Southlake Carroll.

Additionally, Foles was a standout player in basketball; a three-year starter, he led the district in rebounding as a sophomore and was twice named team MVP. He was recruited by top college basketball programs like Georgetown and Arizona State, but told them he intended to focus on football.

College Success

Foles originally attended Michigan State University, but soon found himself behind fellow future NFL quarterbacks Brian Hoyer and Kirk Cousins on the depth chart. He found his groove after transferring to Arizona, earning all-conference honorable mention in all three years as a starter. As a senior, he threw for a school single-season record 4,334 yards and 28 touchdowns, finishing as Arizona’s all-time leader in attempts (1,369), completions (933), passing yards (10,011) and TDs (67).

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QUICK FACTS

• Birth Year: 1989
• Birth date: January 20, 1989
• Birth State: Texas
• Birth City: Austin
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: NFL quarterback Nick Foles enjoyed a record-setting 2013 season and led the Philadelphia Eagles to victory in Super Bowl LII in 2018.
• Industries
• Sports
• Astrological Sign: Aquarius
• Schools
• University of Arizona
• Michigan State University
• Nacionalities
• American
• Interesting Facts
• Nick Foles set an NFL record with his 13.5 TD-INT ratio in 2013
• Nick Foles was the first player to throw and catch a touchdown pass in a Super Bowl.
• Nick Foles has said he aims to become a high school pastor after retiring from football.
• Occupations
• Football Player

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CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Nick Foles Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/athletes/nick-foles
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: March 19, 2020
• Original Published Date: February 4, 2018