Bryan Cox was once one of the most feared linebackers in the NFL. He excelled in the early 1990s with the Miami Dolphins and then became a favorite of Bill Parcells as member of the New York Jets.
For the last decade and a half, Cox has bounced around the league as a coach and has made a name for himself in that realm. His latest stop is with the New York Giants as their assistant defensive line coach where he is injecting his brand of fiery football into the team’s defensive front.
Cox is stepping to the forefront these days with line coach Andre Patterson dealing with some medical issues. Head coach Brian Daboll spoke about Cox’s impact on Sunday.
“I was with Bryan when he was a player, and he was one of the best leaders I’ve ever been around,” said Daboll. “As a linebacker, he was smart, tough, dependable. You know, back when we were playing at New England, he had an unbelievable hit on (former Colts wide receiver Jerome) Pathon. We were 0-2 going into a game if I’m not mistaken and heavy underdogs. Early in the game, he set the tempo. He was always there as a player. Then, I’ve been around him as he started his coaching career at different spots.
“He’s a very loyal person. He’s smart. He’s played a lot. He was a linebacker. But he was basically like a defensive lineman playing linebacker back in those days. But I thought he could add value to the staff. There were a lot of people in the room when he was interviewed, asking him questions. He’s a good teammate. A lot of good things.”
The Giants needed a lot of things heading into this new chapter, and physicality and drive were high on the list. No need to look any further for those as Cox brings enough for the whole team.
