Bryan Keith Cox Jr. (born June 25, 1994) is an

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 with ...

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...

who is a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

High school career

A three-star prospect according to ESPN, Scout.com and Rivals.com. Rated the No. 66 player in the state of Florida and the No. 37 strongside defensive end in the country by Rivals.com.

College career

After playing a reserve role as a freshman (eight games, five tackles, two sacks), he won a starting job in 2014 (29 tackles, six for loss, four sacks). Despite having hip surgery after the regular season that year, Cox came back to start 12 games as a junior, setting career highs in tackles (45), tackles for loss (10.5), and forced fumbles (two). Also, finishing the year one sack short of a new career high. Injuries limited his effectiveness in 2016, allowing him to only make 19 tackles (2.5 for loss, 0.5 sack) in 11 games.

Professional career

Carolina Panthers

Cox signed with the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...

as an undrafted free agent following the

2017 NFL Draft The 2017 NFL Draft was the 82nd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It was held in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27–29, returning to Philadelphia f ...

. He was waived on September 2, 2017, and signed to the Panthers' practice squad the next day. He was promoted to the active roster on September 30, 2017. Cox was waived during final roster cuts on August 31, 2019, and was signed to the practice squad the next day. He was promoted to the active roster on October 1, 2019. He was waived on November 8.

Cleveland Browns

Cox was signed by the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...

on November 13, 2019.

Buffalo Bills

Cox was signed by the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

on April 29, 2020. He was waived on September 5, 2020, and signed to the practice squad the next day. He was elevated to the active roster on October 19 for the team's week 6 game against the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

, and reverted to the practice squad after the game. On January 26, 2021, Cox signed a reserves/futures contract with the Bills. He was placed on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...

with an

Achilles' tendon The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcaneus (h ...

injury on June 22, 2021.

Indianapolis Colts

Cox signed with the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

on June 12, 2022. He was released on July 29, 2022.

Personal life

He is the son of three-time

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...

Bryan Cox Bryan Keith Cox Sr. (born February 17, 1968) is an American football coach and former player. He is the assistant defensive line coach for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Western Illino ...

References

External links

Florida Gators bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cox, Bryan, Jr. 1994 births Living people Players of American football from Fort Lauderdale, Florida Players of American football from St. Louis Florida Gators football players Carolina Panthers players Buffalo Bills players American football defensive ends St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Florida) alumni Cleveland Browns players Indianapolis Colts players