Torrie Cox
Encyclopedia
Torrie Tywan Cox is an American football
cornerback
who is currently a free agent
. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Pittsburgh
.
in Miami, Florida and was a standout in football
. In football, he rushed
for over 1500 yards and won All-City, All-Dade County
, and All-State honors.
s in the Big East Conference
. He earned first-team All-Big East honors and All-ECAC
awards in his senior year. Also during his senior year, he played in the East-West Shrine Game
. In addition, he earned Pittsburgh's special teams MVP award in his sophomore, junior and senior years. Cox finished his college career with 156 tackles
(128 solo tackles), 28 passes defended
, three interceptions
and three fumble
recoveries. On special teams, he returned 65 kickoffs
for 1,570 yards (24.2 yards per return) and one touchdown
.
, Cox saw some playing time on special teams and at cornerback in the preseason, but suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament
(ACL) and was forced to injured reserve
on August 22 for the rest of the season.
Cox played in 11 games in 2004
. His 26.2-yard kick return average ranked fourth in the NFL that season and second in team history. He recorded his first interception return for a touchdown versus the San Francisco 49ers
. He finished the 2004 season with eight tackles, one interception and two passes defended; as well as six special teams tackles and one fumble recovery. Cox returned 33 kickoffs for 866 yards. His longest return came against the St. Louis Rams
. It was for 59 yards.
In 2005
, Cox played in 15 regular season games as well as the postseason loss to the Washington Redskins
. He recorded two tackles on defense, and had 19 special teams tackles. He also added one forced fumble. Cox returned 24 kickoffs for 464 yards (19.3 yards per return). His longest return came against the Carolina Panthers
. It was for 30 yards.
Cox played in all 16 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2006
. He was tied for first on the team with 20 special teams tackles. He was a first alternate to the Pro Bowl
as a special teams player.
Cox was suspended for the first four games of the 2007
season. He had played in four games before suffering a season ending knee
injury. The Buccaneers placed Cox on injured reserve on October 31, 2007.
During training camp in July 2008
, Cox was again placed on season-ending injured reserve with a torn ACL.
Cox was again placed on injured reserve on November 30, 2009, due to a hip injury. He was released on March 4, 2010.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
.
Early years
Cox attended Northwestern High SchoolMiami Northwestern High School
Miami Northwestern Senior High School is a public high school located in Miami, Florida, United States, serving students in grades 9-12. It serves the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami. The school colors are Old Gold and Royal Blue...
in Miami, Florida and was a standout in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
. In football, he rushed
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
for over 1500 yards and won All-City, All-Dade County
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
, and All-State honors.
College career
During college, Torrie Cox was considered one of the hardest hitting defensive backDefensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
s in the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
. He earned first-team All-Big East honors and All-ECAC
Eastern College Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
awards in his senior year. Also during his senior year, he played in the East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
. In addition, he earned Pittsburgh's special teams MVP award in his sophomore, junior and senior years. Cox finished his college career with 156 tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
(128 solo tackles), 28 passes defended
Pass deflected
In American football a pass deflected, also known as a pass defended, a pass defensed, a pass knock down, or a pass break up, is an incomplete pass that is caused by a defensive player...
, three interceptions
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
and three fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
recoveries. On special teams, he returned 65 kickoffs
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
for 1,570 yards (24.2 yards per return) and one touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In 20032003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to defend its Super Bowl XXXVII title of 2002. Despite high expectations, several last-minute losses led to locker room tension and front-office struggles. The Buccaneers finished 7-9, and missed the playoffs for the first time since...
, Cox saw some playing time on special teams and at cornerback in the preseason, but suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
(ACL) and was forced to injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
on August 22 for the rest of the season.
Cox played in 11 games in 2004
2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on their 7-9 record in 2003. Brian Griese set a number of franchise records for passing. Michael Clayton set a rookie record for receiving.-Offseason:...
. His 26.2-yard kick return average ranked fourth in the NFL that season and second in team history. He recorded his first interception return for a touchdown versus the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. He finished the 2004 season with eight tackles, one interception and two passes defended; as well as six special teams tackles and one fumble recovery. Cox returned 33 kickoffs for 866 yards. His longest return came against the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
. It was for 59 yards.
In 2005
2005 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2005 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on their 5-11 record in 2004. Carnell Williams won rookie of the year....
, Cox played in 15 regular season games as well as the postseason loss to the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. He recorded two tackles on defense, and had 19 special teams tackles. He also added one forced fumble. Cox returned 24 kickoffs for 464 yards (19.3 yards per return). His longest return came against the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
. It was for 30 yards.
Cox played in all 16 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2006
2006 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2006 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on their 11-5 record in 2005.-Summary:After winning the division in 2005, the Buccaneers suffered through an abysmal 2006 season...
. He was tied for first on the team with 20 special teams tackles. He was a first alternate to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
as a special teams player.
Cox was suspended for the first four games of the 2007
2007 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2007 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the 32nd season for the club in the National Football League. On December 16, 2007, they cliched the NFC South division title, and returned to the playoffs after missing it in 2006....
season. He had played in four games before suffering a season ending knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
injury. The Buccaneers placed Cox on injured reserve on October 31, 2007.
During training camp in July 2008
2008 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2008 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the 33rd season for the club in the National Football League. Though the team finished with a winning record , they failed to defend their 2007 NFC South championship and did not qualify for the playoffs after finishing the year on a four game losing streak...
, Cox was again placed on season-ending injured reserve with a torn ACL.
Cox was again placed on injured reserve on November 30, 2009, due to a hip injury. He was released on March 4, 2010.