Auburn's Cox finally gets shot after rocky start

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) Brandon Cox&#39;s Auburn career nearly crashed and burned long before he stepped on the field.<br> <br> The Tigers&#39; new starting quarterback was driving back to campus before his freshman season on a summer evening in 2002 when he fell asleep at the wheel and ran off the road. He woke up in a hospital bed with a concussion, but his troubles were just beginning.<br> <br> A muscle disorder flared up, leading to severe double vision and drained energy and causing him to leave the team and return home to Trussville.<br> <br> ``I got to the point where I was just aggravated,&#39;&#39; Cox said. ``I wasn&#39;t able to practice. I was here to play football and I didn&#39;t have the energy to do it. The best thing for me was to go home and get better.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Cox rejoined the team that December and was redshirted in 2003. Now the former Alabama Mr. Football is preparing for his first season as the Tigers&#39; starter.<br> <br> After that ordeal, maybe replacing Southeastern Conference offensive player of the year Jason Campbell doesn&#39;t seem so tough.<br> <br> The 6-foot-2, 202-pound lefthander won the job in spring practice, easily beating out redshirt freshmen Calvin Booker and Blake Field.<br> <br> ``I think Brandon Cox is going to be a heck of a college quarterback,&#39;&#39; coach Tommy Tuberville said. ``He&#39;s going to make a name for himself.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Cox, a sophomore, is still taking medication for the muscle disorder, which he had attempted to wean off that summer before his freshman season.<br> <br> The experience gave him a little preparation for the spotlight placed on major college quarterbacks and what it&#39;s like to be a hot topic on the rumor mill.<br> <br> Say, did you hear the one about Cox leaving the team to enter drug rehab in Atlanta? Well, he heard it.<br> <br> ``I&#39;d never really been in the spotlight with rumors like that,&#39;&#39; Cox said. ``That&#39;s part of being in the SEC and part of being the quarterback.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Cox&#39;s other stints in the spotlight have come from seven games in relief of Campbell last season and twice playing in the spring game.<br> <br> Last season, he completed 22 of 34 passes for 357 yards and four touchdowns. He didn&#39;t play again after going 0-for-3 with a pair of interceptions in blowout wins over Arkansas and Kentucky.<br> <br> Offensive coordinator Al Borges said he thinks some fans&#39; doubts about Cox&#39;s ability to start in the SEC were unfounded but familiar.<br> <br> ``When I came here, there were a lot of people that didn&#39;t have a very high opinion of (Campbell&#39;s) ability to play football,&#39;&#39; Borges said. ``Since I&#39;ve been here, just like Jason, I&#39;ve never seen any signs of that (in Cox). All I&#39;ve seen is a kid progress every day at a pretty solid pace.<br> <br> ``He seems very solid intellectually. All those preconceived notions about him have never raised their ugly head since I&#39;ve been here.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> A four-year starter at Hewitt-Trussville, Cox set a state record with a 68.7 percent career completion rate and was widely considered one of the nation&#39;s top quarterback prospects.<br> <br> He knows from watching Campbell&#39;s maturation process that he&#39;ll have to endure the heat not just from opposing defenses but also from fans.<br> <br> ``Just from learning (by) what Jason went through, I know it doesn&#39;t matter who you are, you&#39;re going to have criticism,&#39;&#39; Cox said. ``I expect that. I know it&#39;s going to come. I just have to block it out and overcome it and just go out there and prove what I can do.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Center Steven Ross said Cox has the right mental makeup for the job.<br> <br> ``I think he&#39;ll be fine,&#39;&#39; Ross said. ``He&#39;s not a cocky kid. He&#39;s not a real meek kid. He&#39;s got a good head on his shoulders. He&#39;s a bright kid and he&#39;s got great athletic ability.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> The schedule also works in Cox&#39;s favor. Auburn&#39;s first five games are at home. Cox finally gets his starting shot Sept. 3 against Georgia Tech.<br> <br> ``It&#39;s been a long road,&#39;&#39; he said. ``It&#39;s been a dream of mine ever since I was little and to finally be in this spot is a dream come true.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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