Former Michigan RB Michael Cox Profiled in the New York Times
Here is the article. It focuses on his journey from junior hockey to the NFL (he was drafted by the Giants in the seventh round). The Michigan part:
Next, he all but gave up elite hockey because he wanted to try other sports. Almost by accident, he ended up at a Connecticut prep school where, even though he had never played a down of organized football, he blossomed into a top rusher. Considered a top football prospect, he chose Michigan among several big-time suitors. For the second time in his athletic career, he was oddly banished to the bench, averaging about six carries a year.
I noted it and considered using it, but ultimately decided to go in a different direction.
M..Cox!
That headline is reserved by the NY Times for Anthony Weiner.
Hoke sent him packing to make room for Dennis Norfleet. The nerve of that Sabanite.
/Sarcasm
insert magnus joke here
Magnus likes Cox.
Hell yeah.
Oddly banished to the bench? I wouldn't say it was that odd.
Cox is a true Wolverine. He played his 4 years here and graduated.
Between starting late and sitting on the bench a lot, Cox is really young in "football years." If he can parlay the degree he got when he "graduated early" with a couple of years' worth of NFL paychecks, he has a great start in whatever career he chooses.
Lived across from Mike his freshman year in West Quad. Great dude. He may not have been able to hit the hole on the practice field, but with girls, he always...well...you get it.
What do you mean?
I still don't get it.
It's because you're a virgin
Oh. Can you explain it to me then?
....and as a NY Giants draft pick, the name was in play
It's really weird how Michael Cox got drafted, but Vincent Smith, Carlos Brown, etc. didn't...
...but Mike Cox double threads are still Magnus approved.
I have a hard time believing two very different coaching staffs were not smart enough to play him if he truly was the better option at RB.
baby seal U, Delaware State. He looked like he might develop alongside Toussaint as a major back, and then he was relegated to the bench by RichRod because his running style or ability didn't show up in practice.
The reason the Giants took a flyer on him I'm guessing, is because of their success with Victor Cruz, who also came out of UMass but as a free agent. The Giants have always liked the Michigan pedigree in a players background. But Cox has the kind of moxie it takes to make it in the pros, and he's not a major gamble.
Going back through some stats that I have on the laptop here, Mike Cox had 11 carries for 82 yards and 2 TD rushing, as well as 1 reception for 11 yards in the Delaware State game. The only other game in which I think he saw more than 6 carries might be the 2010 Bowling Green game.
As I recall though, the Giants were very upbeat about him, talking about all the things that were evident in his running style, I believe, including the speed and the elusivity. At the UMass pro day, he ran 40 in 4.63 and 4.58 seconds as well as a 38-inch vertical and a 10.7 broad jump.
Literally every time he stepped on the field at RB in a Michigan uniform, Cox performed well. Small sample size and questionable opponents, but he had a 57-yard touchdown against Delaware State, a 35-yard run against Bowling Green, a 17-yarder against Eastern Michigan, something like a 58-yard touchdown run in the spring game two years ago, etc. He supposedly had fumble problems, but he never fumbled. He had 19 career carries for 169 yards and 2 touchdowns, and then he proceeded to come into Michigan Stadium to average 4.2 yards/carry behind a porous UMass offensive line.
Maybe a guy who played better than he practiced?
MC came back and trained considerably with Barwis post season. Apparently he made the most of it !
I always thought Mike Cox got a raw deal at Michigan. When they were down on RBs during the RR error, it was surprising that he never saw the field despite showing flashes. By the time Hoke came in he was too far down the depth chart. If the Giants could build up Stevie Brown in to an NFL player, perhaps they can do the same for Cox.
August 4th, 2013 at 10:21 PM ^
The knock on him was he didn't learn his playbook well. I also recall him going the wrong way on a couple runs.
how did I not know Cox was an elite hockey prep star