Cox: Tide Made Mistake...

[DKW 86 7,451]

Link

AU's Cox can show Tide made mistake

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

By PHILLIP MARSHALL

Times Sports Staff pmarsh9485@msn.com

AUBURN - For the little boy growing up in Trussville, it was a dream that began to take shape from the time he would throw the football with his father in the yard of their home.

He would play quarterback one day in the Iron Bowl, the football game that has captivated the state each autumn since 1948. Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Brandon Cox will live that little boy's dream. But it won't be the way he envisioned it.

Brandon Cox thought he would be wearing crimson and carrying the banner of the University of Alabama. Instead, he'll be on the other side. He'll wear blue and start the biggest game of his life as Auburn's quarterback.

As Cox's senior season at Hewitt-Trussville High School neared its end in 2001, scholarship offers poured in. After all, he was the most accurate passer in Alabama high school history. He would be named the state's Mr. Football by the Alabama Sports Writers Association.

Florida, LSU and Auburn were in hot pursuit of the left-hander with an uncanny knack for throwing pinpoint passes. Alabama and coach Dennis Franchione had no interest.

"I've grown up an Alabama fan," Cox said during the recruiting process. "I always wanted to play there, but their coaches told me this summer that they were looking for a quarterback that could pass and run. All I can do is look elsewhere."

Cox strongly considered Florida, but Steve Spurrier abruptly resigned. He thought about LSU and offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher. In the end, he decided to stay in his home state and play for the rival of his childhood favorite.

After battling an illness that caused him to leave school before his first season, Cox sat out the 2003 season and spent last season as the backup. He watched from the sideline as Auburn beat Alabama 21-13 last season at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

Saturday, when the No. 11 Tigers (8-2 and 6-1) and No. 8 Crimson Tide (9-1 and 6-1) play at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Cox, now a 22-year-old sophomore, will be center stage.

Cox has vindicated Auburn's decision to offer him a scholarship when Alabama wouldn't. In league games only, he leads the Southeastern Conference in passing efficiency. He averages 229.9 yards passing per game, third best in the SEC. Since a four-interception meltdown in his first start, a 23-14 loss to Georgia Tech in the season-opener, he has had just three passes picked off

Offensive coordinator Al Borges liked what he saw of Cox when he arrived in the spring of 2004. He likes what he sees now. And he says the future will be even better.

"He's done a heck of a job of showing composure when we are behind," Borges said. "You are seeing the embryonic stages of what could be a great quarterback. He's playing as well as any quarterback in the SEC, maybe better."

Along the way, Cox has gained the confidence of his teammates. He has been at his best when it mattered most in the toughest of environments. At LSU, he led an 87-yard fourth-quarter drive that gave Auburn a 17-14 lead. When LSU tied it, he took his team back into field goal range.

In last Saturday's 31-30 win at Florida, he completed a 62-yard pass to Devin Aromashodu on fourth-and-10 to set up John Vaughn's game-winning field goal with six seconds left.

Winning the confidence of teammates, senior left tackle Marcus McNeill says, is a challenge some can't meet.

"That's probably one of the hardest things," McNeill said. "You really want to prove yourself. You might do little things wrong because you are trying so hard to prove you belong. I think Brandon has done a wonderful job.

"He looks like a leader in the huddle and he looks like a leader on the field. That's what you have to be at the quarterback position, and that's what he has become."

It comes as no surprise to junior wide receiver Lee Guess, Cox's best friend and his favorite receiver back at Hewitt-Trussville.

"In high school, my favorite time was at the end of the game when we had to come back and win," Guess said. "That's what we knew we were really good at. He has a feel for that. He likes the challenge."

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

This appears to be the big topic on Finescum, yes I normally don't listen but figured the callers would be pretty funny this week, and they have been.

Lol, he's taking shots at Croyle and the Alabama fans actions last Saturday which was pretty good.

Hope Cox becomes to Alabama what Reggie Ball became to Auburn as far as vengence type games.

K...... I could only stand about 10 minutes of it, especially after the talk of how the Iron Bowl being moved meant the Bear was still getting the better of Shug even though both were passed......... however that works...... only someone from Alabama.

[Erik81 0]

In last Saturday's 31-30 win at Florida, he completed a 62-yard pass to Devin Aromashodu on fourth-and-10 to set up John Vaughn's game-winning field goal with six seconds left.

I could have sworn that we played Georgia

[Eagle Eye 7]

No they wouldn't mess up.. I'm pretty sure we played Florida..

I'm just kidding

[mattd 3]

I hope he does come in with something to prove but doesn't get too emotional or tight...we need him not to force things...

[Draven 0]

Brandon Cox thought he would be wearing crimson and carrying the banner of the University of Alabama. Instead, he'll be on the other side. He'll wear blue and start the biggest game of his life as Auburn's quarterback.

As Cox's senior season at Hewitt-Trussville High School neared its end in 2001, scholarship offers poured in. After all, he was the most accurate passer in Alabama high school history. He would be named the state's Mr. Football by the Alabama Sports Writers Association.

Florida, LSU and Auburn were in hot pursuit of the left-hander with an uncanny knack for throwing pinpoint passes. Alabama and coach Dennis Franchione had no interest.

As I have said before I grew up in Trussville playing ball with Brandon through youth leagues to junior high and starting high school until I moved up toward Springville.

No joke now guys him and his dad would pull up to practice in a "dark pink" pick up truck with bammer junk all over it. It was enough to make someone nauseous at times, he would come to practice wear a bammer jersey with a bammer shirt under his pads. All he ever did was talk about them (much like we do Auburn now ) and football in general. I am about three years older than he is so I played with the group above his age group, but he came up to play with the bigger guys because he thought it was more challenging. This is not the surprising part, he also played in his age group at the same time. So he practiced with them earlier in the afternoon, then when they finished practice he started practice with us. Did the games the same blasted way he would play one then go straight to the other it was unbelievable. All of this was for one thing to be the best player UAT had ever seen by the time he was ready to go to college. So when he came to Auburn I damn near had a heart attack, he never really hated Auburn like most bammers but it was always clear who "his" team was. It’s a good thing he got smarter when he got to high school and he came to the plains.

[WaDE'05 8]

I never remembered brandon being an obnoxious Alabama fan growing up, but I do remember telling him my senior year that I was going to Auburn. He seemed sorely disappointed in me, as only a week earlier my dad and I had flown out to LA to see the #3 crimson tide get pistol whipped by an Al Borges coached UCLA offense. The irony of the whole thing is that Jay Barker, who also went to Hewitt was a die hard Auburn fan growing up and Auburn wanted nothing to do with him during recruitment.

[Bama Bo 0]

I wonder how many thank you notes/phone calls CTT has given to Fran for not offering Cox a scholly? I think it shows just how good of a "recruiter" Fran was when he offered a scholly to Brandon Avalos instead of Brandon Cox.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

I wonder how many thank you notes/phone calls CTT has given to Fran for not offering Cox a scholly? I think it shows just how good of a "recruiter" Fran was when he offered a scholly to Brandon Avalos instead of Brandon Cox.

199093[/snapback]

Guess Fran got a lot of pressure from Tider Insider

[mattd 3]

I never remembered brandon being an obnoxious Alabama fan growing up, but I do remember telling him my senior year that I was going to Auburn. He seemed sorely disappointed in me, as only a week earlier my dad and I had flown out to LA to see the #3 crimson tide get pistol whipped by an Al Borges coached UCLA offense. The irony of the whole thing is that Jay Barker, who also went to Hewitt was a die hard Auburn fan growing up and Auburn wanted nothing to do with him during recruitment.

I heard Jay say that AU offered but they wanted him to walk on until January because they didn't have enough scholly's....I thought I heard him say he grew up an AL fan...

[Bama Bo 0]

I heard Jay say that AU offered but they wanted him to walk on until January because they didn't have enough scholly's....I thought I heard him say he grew up an AL fan...

199110[/snapback]

I have the Alabama Legends DVD set. On it Jay Barker says that he was wanting to come to Alabama, but Bill Curry would not offer a scholarship and he had committed to Auburn. Curry then quit, Stallings was hired and offered him a scholly. And the rest is history.

[Draven 0]

I never remembered brandon being an obnoxious Alabama fan growing up, but I do remember telling him my senior year that I was going to Auburn.  He seemed sorely disappointed in me, as only a week earlier my dad and I had flown out to LA to see the #3 crimson tide get pistol whipped by an Al Borges coached UCLA offense.  The irony of the whole thing is that Jay Barker, who also went to Hewitt was a die hard Auburn fan growing up and Auburn wanted nothing to do with him during recruitment.

199050[/snapback]

So when he came to Auburn I damn near had a heart attack, he never really hated Auburn like most bammers but it was always clear who "his" team was. It’s a good thing he got smarter when he got to high school and he came to the plains. 

Yeah thats what I was saying he was not like most bammers but you knew which team he prefered.

Wade'05 what year did you graduate from HTHS?

[WaDE'05 8]

I never remembered brandon being an obnoxious Alabama fan growing up, but I do remember telling him my senior year that I was going to Auburn.  He seemed sorely disappointed in me, as only a week earlier my dad and I had flown out to LA to see the #3 crimson tide get pistol whipped by an Al Borges coached UCLA offense.  The irony of the whole thing is that Jay Barker, who also went to Hewitt was a die hard Auburn fan growing up and Auburn wanted nothing to do with him during recruitment.

199050[/snapback]

So when he came to Auburn I damn near had a heart attack, he never really hated Auburn like most bammers but it was always clear who "his" team was. It’s a good thing he got smarter when he got to high school and he came to the plains. 

Yeah thats what I was saying he was not like most bammers but you knew which team he prefered.

Wade'05 what year did you graduate from HTHS?

199138[/snapback]

'01 Go Huskies, the most unathletic bunch of winners I've ever seen.

[sntemp 0]

Oh My God we got an Alabama reject at QB?? ..... He better not intentionally lose this game is all I have to say!!!

So did Alabama get their QB that could pass and run?......