Former UT walk-on now a special teams star for Baltimore
Morgan Cox may be the best National Football League player that the average fan wouldn’t recognize. He doesn’t rush for 100 yards per game, and he doesn’t sack quarterbacks, but he does fill a very important role for the Baltimore Ravens.
The 10-year NFL veteran has found his niche as a special teams stud. He’s a former Tennessee Volunteer, and he’s played for the Ravens since he broke into the league a decade ago. His name rarely shows up on the stat sheet, however, because he toils in obscurity as Baltimore’s long snapper.
But rest assured that those who know football the best appreciate Cox’s contributions. His head coach, in particular, knows his worth. John Harbaugh made his way into coaching as a special teams coordinator, and Cox has made the Pro Bowl three times (2015, 2016 and last year) under his tutelage. He also was a member of Baltimore’s squad that won Super Bowl XLVII.
All of these accomplishments came after entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2010.
A native of Collierville, a Memphis suburb, Cox has had to take the tough road to play football at a professional level. After playing his high school football at Evangelical Christian School, Cox walked on at the University of Tennessee in 2006.
He was always successful in the classroom, making the Southeastern Conference’s honor roll every year of his collegiate career.
Cox became Tennessee’s long snapper in 2007 but wasn’t awarded a scholarship until 2008. He went undrafted in 2010 but was able to find a home in Baltimore, where he’s appeared in 152 games and has made three special teams tackles. He’s also recovered a fumble by Wes Welker, a receiver and returner for Denver at the time.
Cox is undoubtedly living a dream – albeit one that largely flies under the radar. He definitely is the kind of player that high school football coaches preach about as they urge players who can’t find regular playing time on offense or defense to take part on special teams units. He’s an excellent example of how someone with a good work ethic can forge a solid pro career against all odds.
