Bryan Cox Jr. picked quite a day to play a lot like his father did during his NFL career.
The son of former All-Pro linebacker Bryan Cox came up with three sacks to lead a 10-9 win in a road game at rival Tennessee that threatened to send the Florida Gators' season into an early tailspin.
Bryan Cox Sr., of course, had an impressive 12-year NFL career playing for the Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears and New York Jets, among others. The three-time All-Pro, currently the Atlanta Falcons' defensive line coach, amassed 51.5 career sacks, but as a college player at Western Illinois and a fifth-round draft pick, he never found himself on the center of a stage quite like his son was on Saturday.
Bryan Cox Jr.'s first sack of the season came at a big third-down moment, as he dropped Volunteers quarterback Justin Worley for a loss of 13 to force a punt in the second quarter. Cox, a redshirt sophomore who had two career sacks entering the game, sacked Worley again on third down in the third quarter to force a field goal attempt, and his third sack set up a 3rd-and-9 and helped force one of eight Tennessee punts.
Florida registered six sacks of Worley for the day, and only mounted a comeback from a 9-0 deficit after starting quarterback Jeff Driskel was benched in favor of true freshman Treon Harris.
The Gators might have found a new quarterback in Harris.
And a new star pass rusher in Cox.
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