Joe Cox: It's His Time To Shine

There was a small opportunity in 2006, but for Georgia senior quarterback Joe Cox, 2009 will be his opportunity to shine for the Bulldogs in the same way that former UGA and current Atlanta Falcons' quarterback D.J. Shockley did back in 2005, when he led the Bulldogs to the SEC Championship.

Three years ago was a gaggle, if you will, of quarterbacks. Joe Tereshinski to Blake Barnes to Stafford to Cox: all had their opportunities in 2006, with none really showing much. Stafford's success, or lack thereof, was attributed to him being a freshman and that he still had a lot to learn, which he did, and is the reason why he took over the reins of quarterback for good in 2007.

Now, as the Bulldogs prepare for the 2009 season, Cox is another senior who will look to lead the Bulldogs to an SEC Championship in his only year as the true starter behind center, that is. unless Aaron Murray impresses coaches early.

From Charlotte, N.C., Cox threw passes in high school to former Bulldog receiver Mohamed Massaquoi at Independence High School. While there, Cox helped continue the tradition of winning state titles at Independence, as he was a part of a team that extended the school's winning streak to 77. That season, he also threw 5,006 yards and 66 touchdowns.

But, that's high school: this is college. And, like most sports fans will say, college is a whole different ballgame. There are some great quarterbacks in high school who don't translate well in the college game, mainly because they can't read opposing defenses, while there are sub-par high school quarterbacks who become great college quarterbacks, i.e. David Greene.

So, what is it going to take for Cox to be successful this year and put the Bulldogs in a position to compete with Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina in the SEC East?

First, unlike Stafford, Cox is going to have to be more accurate with his throws and learn to put a little more touch on the ball at times. With two speedy receivers in A.J. Green and incoming freshman Marlon Brown, Cox has targets at wideout. And, if he get bored throwing to those two guys, he has a plethora of receivers and running backs that are more than capable of catching the ball.

The second thing, and most important thing, is that Cox has to be the leader of the team. Last year, Massaquoi was the leader on offense for the Dawgs, and although it's nice to have a receiver be that leader, I think it's more important for the leader to be the quarterback.

If his offensive line is missing assignments and letting opposing defenders plant him into the ground, Cox needs to let the offensive line know about it. If his receivers aren't catching the ball like they're supposed to or are not running crisp routes, he needs to get in their faces.

Over the last three years, Georgia has not had a quarterback that will grab a teammate by the face mask and set them straight. That's what a leader does: he doesn't accept mistakes, and expects the very best from his teammates.

Only time will tell if Cox can lead the Bulldogs back to the SEC Championship Game. With the departures of Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, leadership will be key on offense.

Will Cox be the one to step into that role, or will Bulldog fans be stuck in a season of pain and misery?