Derek Sinclair Cox (born September 22, 1986) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...

. He was drafted by the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...

in the third round of the

2009 NFL Draft The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. ...

. He played college football at William & Mary. Cox has also played for the San Diego Chargers,

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...

, and the New England Patriots.

High school career

Cox attended Junius H. Rose High School in Greenville, North Carolina. He played with Houston Texans

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Ther ...

Andre Brown.

College career

Cox was a four-year starter for William & Mary. He was a two-time All- Colonial Athletic Association selection and finished his senior season tied for fifth in the CAA with four interceptions and returned a pair of those for touchdowns.

Professional career

2009 NFL Draft

Despite not being invited to the

NFL Scouting Combine The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Foo ...

, Cox was selected by the Jaguars in the third round of the

Jacksonville Jaguars

In his first NFL game, Cox intercepted a Peyton Manning pass intended for

Reggie Wayne Reginald Wayne (born November 17, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver who played 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Miami, and was drafted ...

and also recovered a fumble. Cox finished his rookie season with 58 tackles and 4 interceptions. Cox missed the first two games of the 2012 season due to an injury and returned in Week 3 to face the Indianapolis Colts. Cox finished the 2012 campaign with a career best 60 tackles; he also had 1 FF and 4 interceptions.

San Diego Chargers

On March 13, 2013 Cox agreed to a four-year deal with the San Diego Chargers In week 6, Cox intercepted

Andrew Luck Andrew Austen Luck (born September 12, 1989) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. One of the most highly touted amateur prospects during hi ...

to help win the game. Cox was benched three times during the regular season due to inconsistent play. He lost his starting job to veteran Richard Marshall in week 13. Cox finished the season on special teams and managed career-lows, 38 tackles and only 1 interception. He was released on March 4, 2014.

Minnesota Vikings

On March 13, 2014, Cox signed a one-year contract with the

. He was cut after the third preseason game, on August 25, 2014.

Baltimore Ravens

On August 27, 2014, Cox signed a one-year contract with the

. He was released three days later. Cox did not play in the 2014 season.

New England Patriots

On June 8, 2015, Cox was signed by the New England Patriots; the team released him on August 1, 2015.

NFL awards and honors

*''Athlon Sports'' All-Rookie Team (2009) *''Ourlads Scouting'' All-Rookie Team (2009) *2010 Pro Bowl Alternate

References

External links

Minnesota Vikings bio

Jacksonville Jaguars bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cox, Derek 1986 births Living people People from Winterville, North Carolina Players of American football from North Carolina American football cornerbacks William & Mary Tribe football players Jacksonville Jaguars players San Diego Chargers players Minnesota Vikings players Baltimore Ravens players New England Patriots players