Colorado State University Athletics
Photo by: CSU Athletics Communications
Cox brings added perspective to receivers room
8/15/2019 10:00:00 AM | Football
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The resume spoke volumes.
There was Rashard Higgins, a Biletnikoff Award finalist and a consensus All-American. Then game Michael Gallup, another Biletnikoff finalist and consensus All-American. Preston Williams was second-team All-American by the Sporting News. All of them are with NFL teams right now. So too is Olabisi Johnson, and don't forget Joe Hansley made early waves a few years ago in the Oakland Raiders camp.
Alvis Whitted's work as Colorado State's wide receivers coach was impressive. He had a quiet, simple way of getting the most out of his players. Replacing him wasn't going to be easy, but head coach Mike Bobo didn't hesitate in moving Joe Cox from tight ends to receivers.
"He's a guy who's got a bright future in this business," Bobo said of Cox. "Really at any position. I think he can coach offensive line. I can't coach offensive line. I think he could."
Cox will not approach it the same way as Whitted, now with the Green Bay Packers. Bobo doesn't want him too, and the players aren't running comparison tests either.
As Bobo noted after Wednesday's practice, Warren Jackson is having a tremendous camp. Some young receivers are starting to blossom, and even the true freshmen are making a push. No one is saying, "we used to …" or "in the past …", the focus is on results.
"Even when Coach Cox was the tight ends coach, he would help us out on the plays at wide receiver," EJ Scott said. "It was pretty easy to trust him. Coach Whitted was more of a laid back type of guy. Coach Cox is going to get in your face. I think it's important to get different styles, because you want to be coachable when you get to the next level."
Jackson liked the switch, as Cox was already a fixture on the offensive staff, and he came to know Cox even more through his roommate, tight end Cameron Butler. He would even go sit in the tight ends room and listen as Cox worked with Butler at times.
In short, they knew Cox could teach them. They also knew he could reach them with a style of message all his own.
"He's just ready out there. In warm up, he throws the ball real hard," Jackson said. "It's contagious. When he's throwing it hard, we know we're getting ready to strap on our stuff. Even in the warmup, so just that little bit of energy he brings us, it really sparks us, and vice versa. We can spark him sometimes."
Bobo knew – and wanted – Cox to be himself as he switched roles.
What Bobo also understood was Cox could bring in an added perspective to the room few others can. Cox played quarterback for Bobo at Georgia, and he was a graduate assistant on his start-up staff at CSU. From his first day in Fort Collins, Cox has been able to help anybody on the offensive side better understand the complexities of Bobo's playbook.
"Joe has a great demeanor. He has a ton of energy, and he's extremely smart," Bobo said. "He can give the picture to the receivers of the perspective of the quarterback and how things are supposed to develop. Those guys … To be able to have a guy like Joe who has been in this system, played for me, GA'd for us and was a full-time coach and just understands everything we're trying to do, even in the run game, has been a big plus. He's got those guys playing at a high level, he's a good mentor for those guys and he does a great job. They're constantly at his house and with his daughter."
The additional information and the big-picture look has helped the current crop of Rams grow. He made it clear early their knowledge of the offense was going to expand beyond what route they ran.
The understanding they've developed in how what and when they do their tasks is intertwined with the run game has been a plus. His ability to bring a quarterback's perspective – really, a quarterback's vision – has been instrumental in polishing their games.
"Coach Cox really wants the whole room to know every position," Jackson said. "We don't just learn one position, he teaches us everything. He teaches us little details the quarterback is looking for, what our lineman are going to do on this play, just everything about the offense. He wants us to have that feel like he did in college when he played in this offense. I think that will helps us a lot this year."
Just like when Whitted first arrived, Cox inherits a room most folks outside of the program have little knowledge of in terms of ability. Higgins wasn't highly recruited out of high school, Gallup was in much the same boat coming out of junior college. All of those receivers of the past had to be developed.
Cox will have to do the same, and even while Jackson is receiving a bit of hype from the Rams' fan base, the idea makes them all smile. What is unknown now isn't as important as the in-season production.
Jackson said it makes the room dangerous, and Scott concurs.
"I love the competition in our room. It makes us come out every day with the attitude we have to come out and work hard," Scott said. "They're really sleeping on us at the receiver position. They think all of our receivers have moved on, but we have some real talent in the room."
There was Rashard Higgins, a Biletnikoff Award finalist and a consensus All-American. Then game Michael Gallup, another Biletnikoff finalist and consensus All-American. Preston Williams was second-team All-American by the Sporting News. All of them are with NFL teams right now. So too is Olabisi Johnson, and don't forget Joe Hansley made early waves a few years ago in the Oakland Raiders camp.
Alvis Whitted's work as Colorado State's wide receivers coach was impressive. He had a quiet, simple way of getting the most out of his players. Replacing him wasn't going to be easy, but head coach Mike Bobo didn't hesitate in moving Joe Cox from tight ends to receivers.
"He's a guy who's got a bright future in this business," Bobo said of Cox. "Really at any position. I think he can coach offensive line. I can't coach offensive line. I think he could."
Cox will not approach it the same way as Whitted, now with the Green Bay Packers. Bobo doesn't want him too, and the players aren't running comparison tests either.
As Bobo noted after Wednesday's practice, Warren Jackson is having a tremendous camp. Some young receivers are starting to blossom, and even the true freshmen are making a push. No one is saying, "we used to …" or "in the past …", the focus is on results.
"Even when Coach Cox was the tight ends coach, he would help us out on the plays at wide receiver," EJ Scott said. "It was pretty easy to trust him. Coach Whitted was more of a laid back type of guy. Coach Cox is going to get in your face. I think it's important to get different styles, because you want to be coachable when you get to the next level."
Jackson liked the switch, as Cox was already a fixture on the offensive staff, and he came to know Cox even more through his roommate, tight end Cameron Butler. He would even go sit in the tight ends room and listen as Cox worked with Butler at times.
In short, they knew Cox could teach them. They also knew he could reach them with a style of message all his own.
"He's just ready out there. In warm up, he throws the ball real hard," Jackson said. "It's contagious. When he's throwing it hard, we know we're getting ready to strap on our stuff. Even in the warmup, so just that little bit of energy he brings us, it really sparks us, and vice versa. We can spark him sometimes."
Bobo knew – and wanted – Cox to be himself as he switched roles.
What Bobo also understood was Cox could bring in an added perspective to the room few others can. Cox played quarterback for Bobo at Georgia, and he was a graduate assistant on his start-up staff at CSU. From his first day in Fort Collins, Cox has been able to help anybody on the offensive side better understand the complexities of Bobo's playbook.
"Joe has a great demeanor. He has a ton of energy, and he's extremely smart," Bobo said. "He can give the picture to the receivers of the perspective of the quarterback and how things are supposed to develop. Those guys … To be able to have a guy like Joe who has been in this system, played for me, GA'd for us and was a full-time coach and just understands everything we're trying to do, even in the run game, has been a big plus. He's got those guys playing at a high level, he's a good mentor for those guys and he does a great job. They're constantly at his house and with his daughter."
The additional information and the big-picture look has helped the current crop of Rams grow. He made it clear early their knowledge of the offense was going to expand beyond what route they ran.
The understanding they've developed in how what and when they do their tasks is intertwined with the run game has been a plus. His ability to bring a quarterback's perspective – really, a quarterback's vision – has been instrumental in polishing their games.
"Coach Cox really wants the whole room to know every position," Jackson said. "We don't just learn one position, he teaches us everything. He teaches us little details the quarterback is looking for, what our lineman are going to do on this play, just everything about the offense. He wants us to have that feel like he did in college when he played in this offense. I think that will helps us a lot this year."
Just like when Whitted first arrived, Cox inherits a room most folks outside of the program have little knowledge of in terms of ability. Higgins wasn't highly recruited out of high school, Gallup was in much the same boat coming out of junior college. All of those receivers of the past had to be developed.
Cox will have to do the same, and even while Jackson is receiving a bit of hype from the Rams' fan base, the idea makes them all smile. What is unknown now isn't as important as the in-season production.
Jackson said it makes the room dangerous, and Scott concurs.
"I love the competition in our room. It makes us come out every day with the attitude we have to come out and work hard," Scott said. "They're really sleeping on us at the receiver position. They think all of our receivers have moved on, but we have some real talent in the room."
Players Mentioned
TE
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ FootballThursday, May 14
Monday, May 11
Friday, May 08
Tuesday, April 28