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People SearchFind an individual who either played a sport or was a member of a support group. Search by last name by clicking on the first letter of the person's last name.
Mr. Brandon "B.COX" Cox
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Home Phone: 972-254-3962 EIGHT CAJUNS ON ALL-SUN BELT FOOTBALL TEAM December 06, 2005 – Matt Hebert, Sports Information – NEW ORLEANS � Winning a share of the Sun Belt title produced eight Ragin’ Cajuns on the 2005 All-Sun Belt team, as announced by the league office on Tuesday. It marks the most all-conference selections for Louisiana-Lafayette since 11 Cajuns were named to the 1995 All-Big West team. The Sun Belt Co-Champion Cajuns were led by three players on the first team. Greg Hodges and Brandon Cox were each named first team offensive lineman, while Michael Desormeaux was on the first team in the all purpose slot. Hodges and Cox led a Cajuns offensive line that produced a school-record 2,797 rushing yards and 34 rushing touchdowns. UL’s 254.4 rushing yards per game is seventh in the nation and the best average in school history. The Cajuns averaged 291.4 rushing yards per game in Sun Belt Conference games � crushing the league record of 245.1. Desormeaux was elected in the all purpose slot for his combination of talents. The redshirt freshman began the season as the Cajuns #2 quarterback and as a regular on the Cajuns punt, punt return and hands teams. When an injury to starter Jerry Babb occurred in the Cajuns fourth game of the season, Desormeaux stepped in to run the Cajuns offense. In four starts, Desormeaux threw for 368 yards on 36-of-69 passing (52.2%) and ran 48 times for 351 yards (7.3ypc) and two touchdowns. He finished the season with 597 yards passing and 487 yards rushing. Three players earned second team honors, true freshman running back Tyrell Fenroy, sophomore offensive lineman Jesse Newman and senior defensive end Eugene Kwarteng. Fenroy was also honored as the Sun Belt’s Newcomer of the Year. The New Orleans area native took over as the Cajuns starter in the third game (only 16-58 yards through first two games). He was the catalyst for the Cajuns season-ending five-game winning streak, posting 622 yards and 10 TD’s (5.7ypc, 124.4ypg). Fenroy became the first Cajuns running back to ever gain 1,000 yards. His 12 rushing TD’s are the third most rushing scores by a true freshman in the nation. He is the only true freshman in school history to post at least two 100(+)-yard rushing performances � doing it five times. Fenroy finished second (Patrick Cobbs) in rushing ypg in conference play, with 109.4 ypg and 11 touchdowns. Kwarteng won the Cajuns Top Defensive Point Award for defensive production in 2005. He tied for the team lead with four sacks (all in conference play) and led the squad with seven tackles for loss (6.5 in conference play). Kwarteng had two of the Cajuns school-record nine sacks at Middle Tennessee. He ranked sixth on the team with 43 tackles, 32 of which came in SBC play. Junior defensive end Anthony Hills and junior cornerback Michael Adams landed honorable mention honors. Hills tied for the team lead with four sacks and third with 4.5 tackles for loss. He led the squad with two forced fumbles. Adams was fifth on the team in tackles and led the team with two interceptions, while adding a fumble recovery. He blocked two kicks, a field goal vs. FAU and an extra point at #2 Texas. Football: Cox shows up to play November 09, 2005 – Dan McDonald Elementary and middle schools give awards for perfect attendance, and you have to figure that Brandon Cox won a lot of those awards. If the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajun football team had a similar award, Cox might be on his way to winning it for a third straight time. As a true freshman in 2003, Cox started all 12 games at right offensive tackle and played 841 snaps, more than anyone else on the entire squad. As a sophomore last year, he started all 11 games at left tackle and was on the field for 840 snaps – again, more than any other Cajun. This season … nine straight starts, and by the time the season’s over he’ll likely be over the 800-snap mark once again. He’ll get close by the end of Saturday’s 6 p.m. home finale against Florida International. “Anybody that’s a competitor doesn’t want to leave the field,” Cox said Tuesday after the Cajuns’ two-hour practice. “That’s a competitor’s attitude. You want to be out there when the big plays happen.” Cox has been out there for more than his share over the past three weeks, and it’s he and his offensive line mates that have been the catalyst for UL’s current three-game win streak and its vault into Sun Belt Conference contention. Saturday’s 31-28 win at North Texas, though, was the most fun, he said. “I grew up about 25 minutes from there,” the Irving, Tex., native said. “I had a lot of family there, and that made it pretty exciting when we scored at the end.” That score, one that game with 1:10 left, came at the end of an offensive lineman’s dream – an 88-yard, 15-play march that took up 8:46 of clock time and included one downfield pass, one screen and 13 rushing plays that gobbled up 63 yards. But maybe that shouldn’t be a surprise for an offensive front that’s plowing the way for the nation’s ninth-ranked running attack, generating a whopping 238.4 yards per game. “That feels pretty good,” the 6-foot-7, 295-pounder said. “We take a lot of pride in that. You want to be able to run the ball first and foremost.” “That’s what makes it fun for the kids,” said UL offensive line coach Ron Hudson. “They hear all those numbers and that makes them want to get back out there even more. Brandon wants to be out there every snap, but at the same time when we rotate guys, he’s there encouraging them and telling them what’s been going on out there.” “He makes it fun,” Cox said of Hudson. “He’s a funny guy, but when it’s time to get serious he’ll let you know. He gets you excited, pumped, ready to play.” Cox arrived on campus in time for spring practice in 2003 out of Nimitz High, and hasn’t left the starting lineup since. But it’s taken time for UL’s offensive front to mesh. “The time we had together in the spring helped,” he said. “We formed a chemistry in two-a-days, and now when we’re communicating we’re clicking. It’s when we don’t communicate that we run into problems.” “I said at the start of the year that we don’t have the most talented guys individually in the conference,” Hudson said. “But as a unit, we’re pretty tough to beat, and it’s because all of them are happy for their teammates.” And Hudson said Cox’s personality is a big part of that success. “I can’t imagine there’s too many people out there that wouldn’t want him as their son,” Hudson said. “He’s got more character than just about anybody I’ve ever been around, tremendous values, just a great young man.” If anything, maybe too nice. “Sometimes we have to light a fire under him,” Hudson said, “but he’s made an effort to play tougher and meaner. He’s still learning like the rest of it, but he’s an incredible gamer. His level of play rises with the competition. He’s learning, he’s still growing, getting bigger and stronger, and he’s got a lot of good football in front of him.” Originally published November 9, 2005 Cox an imposing figure in Cajun line August 26, 2004 – Bruce Brown August 20, 2004 LAFAYETTE � Brandon Cox strikes an imposing presence in the UL Lafayette offensive line, standing 6-foot-7 and weighing in at just under 300 pounds. Happily enough for Ragin’ Cajun quarterbacks and running backs, Cox also knows how to play football. Best of all, the Irving, Texas, product is just a sophomore. �Brandon started last year as a true freshman and was in on 841 plays,” offensive line coach Mike Gibson said. �He established himself last year, and now he’s one of our leaders. We’re counting on him. He’s working hard. He takes a lot of pride in what he does. He comes to practice to get better. �He still has many things he’s got to work on, but he’s not a high-rep type of guy. You tell him something once, and he’s got it.” �Coach Gibson showed a lot of patience and confidence in me,” Cox said. �He critiqued everything I did. He was hard on me, but it was for the good.” That ongoing critique has included hours of film study. �At the end of last season, coach Gibson gave me a clip of my first game, compared to my last,” Cox said. �You could tell a big difference, from technique to everything.” Combine improved knowledge with greater strength, and Cox figures to be a force in an improving UL front wall. �Brandon is a big kid with long arms,” Gibson said. �(Strength) coach (Brad) Ohrt did a great job with him this summer with his core strength.” �I’m getting stronger,” Cox said. �I’ve put a little weight on. I’ve got more power in the legs, hips, all of it.” A major difference this year finds Cox stationed at left tackle after starting the entire 2003 season at right tackle. �The right side is more natural to him,” Gibson said. �I always feel with a freshman that it’s best to start him on the right and then move him over. �Now we’ve got him on the left side. That’s the quarterbacks blind side, and he’ll be going against the opponent’s best pass rusher (in) every game.” �I go against some pretty good pass rushers every day in practice, and that’s only going to help,” Cox said. Cox came to the Cajuns armed with low-key confidence after all-district, all-city and all-area honors at Nimitz High School, so it was no shock that he chalked up those 800-plus snaps in 2003. �It wasn’t really surprising to me that I started,” Cox said. �I had expectations of myself to be good.” Like most Cajun signees, Cox also expected to win games, which was dented somewhat by an 0-7 start last year. But UL closed fast for a 4-8 finish. �Coming back, I expected us to be real good � especially the way we finished the year,” Cox said. �We could have been better than we were. We lost a lot of games in the fourth quarter, so I’m excited about coming back.” When the Cajuns got on that 4-of-5 roll at the end of the season, the offense put together lengthy drives, controlled clock and scored. �It feels real good to have drives like that, to know you can take it to the defensive line,” Cox said. �All five guys in the line are doing the same thing. We’re playing so well, you could run a wrong play and still be in pretty good shape. �At the end of the season, we just jelled together as a team. We didn’t say anything. We just knew what to do.” Cox has immense potential to be one of the finest tackles in Cajun history. But, typically, he’s taking nothing for granted. �We have a lot of linemen coming in, and they’re going to challenge for playing time,” Cox said. �In order to start, you have to work harder. It’s an interesting camp.” CAJUN CLIPPINGS � The Cajuns held their 14th practice of fall drills Thursday, mostly in individual work and in review of Wednesday’s scrimmage … Jerry Babb hit Kemmie Lewis with a deep pass on play-action on the first play of varsity team period … The squad will work twice today, going at 8 a.m. in full pads and at 3:30 p.m. in shoulder pads and shorts. The Cajuns’ second scrimmage of fall drills is Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Cajun Field. �The Lafayette Daily Advertiser
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