William and Mary’s Derek Cox Drafted in NFL’s Third Round

Tribe Cornerback Selected by Jacksonville with 73 Overall Pick

06/05/09 1:57PM

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Click here to view a conversation with Derek Cox following his selection by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft.

William and Mary senior cornerback Derek Cox (Winterville, N.C.) was selected this morning by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third-round of the NFL Draft.

Cox, a four-year starter for the College, was the 73rd overall player selected in the draft, and the second taken overall from the Football Championships Series (FCS). His placement in the third-round makes him the second-highest drafted player in school history, as only former Tribe All-American safety Darren Sharper was selected higher (second round by the Green Bay Packers in 1997).

Cox will seek to join Sharper (New Orleans Saints) and Mike Leach (Arizona Cardinals) as fellow William and Mary alumni on NFL active rosters.

On the field, Cox was one of the league’s premier cover corners, as he was a two-time All-Colonial Athletics Association selection (as a junior and senior) and finished his senior season tied for fifth in the CAA with four interceptions and returned a pair of those for touchdowns (at NC State and vs. Northeastern). While opposing quarterbacks often elected to avoid throw-ing to his side of the field, Cox ranked 11th in the league with 0.82 passes defended per game. He also made a significant impact on special teams returning punts, averaging 16.4 yards per return with a pair of touchdowns (89 yards vs. Northeast-ern and 80 yards vs. Richmond). Cox finished his career with 172 tackles and nine interceptions.

Even more impressive, perhaps, was Cox’s leaderships off the field, as he was one of just four players in current Tribe Head Coach Jimmye Laycock’s 30-year tenure at the College to be selected as a captain for two terms. Cox was also elected as the Student Athletics Advisory Council (SAAC) President for the 2008-09 athletics year and was presented the 2008 Leadership Award by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.