Born in Grady, Arkansas, Freddie graduated valedictorian from Southeast High School in Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 1970 when he was also named the 1970 Outstanding Teenager of Arkansas. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts cum laude degree in 1974 from Amherst College (Amherst, MA) with a major in Black Studies and minor in Pre-Medicine. He continued his pursuit of medicine by completing one year of work towards a doctor of medicine degree (MD) at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, (MD) and The University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan. From 1974 through 1984, Freddie was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Colts and the Detroit Lions. Immediately following football, Freddie served as a science teacher in both middle and high school for 3 years in Dade County Public Schools (Florida). In 1995, he graduated with honors from the Word of Faith International Christian Center School of Ministry. In July, 2016 Freddie was appointed by the Commissioner of Education to the Little Rock School District Community Advisory Board and served until November 2016 when he accepted his current position as Operations Manager for the Arkansas Department of Education Division of Elementary and Secondary Education Engagement Office.