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Brenton Cox Jr., who transferred to Florida from Georgia as an underclassmen, still keeps in contact with his former teammates from his previous SEC stop. They may be rivals on the field now, but the time Cox spent in Athens hasn't been negated by his decision to depart the program. In between the lines, however, it's an entirely different story.

“We’re still in group chats. I talk to guys in the NFL that played at Georgia, guys that are still there. It’s all fun and games at the end of the day," Cox said. "It’s still a game. It’s not real life. I still got love for those guys. But on the field, it’s going to be real.”

Though there's been considerable turnover on the roster since his time at Georgia, Cox remains in touch with several players, including Robert Beal Jr., his fellow signee in the class of 2018. As true freshmen, both Beal and Cox appeared in double-digit contests with the 'Dawgs, and the two would finish the season with 15 tackles and 20 tackles, respectively.

“We talk a lot. Well, enough, you know what I’m saying? It’s game week," Cox said. "We can’t act like we’re all brothers right now. But after this game we’ll probably get in better contact.”

Beal's playing time decreased his following season, though he's since become a consistent player in the outside linebacker room who has appeared in every game this season while providing a veteran presence in the locker room. Cox, on the other hand, opted to depart for Florida.

Despite Cox's exit from the program, UGA coach Kirby Smart continues to speak highly of Cox for his impact in his lone season with the program, when Smart was still looking to develop the Bulldogs into a contender within the conference and on a national level.

Ultimately, it was a business decision.

“It just didn't work out. Me and coach Smart, we agreed, mutual decision for me to leave and I came here. That's been the best decision I made so far," Cox said. "I mean, it was kind of weird, but it happened. You kind of move on from it.”

Unlike current transfers, Cox had to sit out a season rather than compete immediately with the Gators. It was an unfortunate situation for both the Stockbridge, Georgia, native and his new team, though he now has an optimistic outlook on the year away from competition.

“I guess it wasn’t my time, I guess. I had to sit. I don’t know if me sitting opened up the door for a lot of other guys, but it just had to happen like that and that’s what we have now," he said. "It gave me some time to recover. I was kind of beat up coming from Georgia already, trying to get into that rotation over there. Coming here it gave me some time to recover and figure out the game more. I sat back and watched Jon Greenard a lot, trying to see how he played throughout the defense and I was ready for the next year after that."

Cox may have moved on, but he can't erase his past – one that includes signing with Florida's upcoming opponent as the No. 23 overall prospect in 247Sports' Composite Rankings. And Cox would be in denial if he were to downplay the contest against UGA, which will likely be the final time the 6-foot-5 JACK linebacker will face his former team.

"The intensity, it’s hard to eat, it’s hard to sleep, but other than that it’s like another game because it’s the SEC and everybody is ready to play. But for me, it’s more important than others," Cox said, "but it’s a typical game. Same schedule before the game, it’s just we know we’re playing Georgia this time.”

It's a Georgia team that not only is the reigning national champion – it's a team back on top of the college football world as the No. 1-ranked team in the country heading into Saturday's match-up. That alone puts an increased emphasis on Florida to execute in all phases of the game.

"They are No. 1 for the reason. We know it will be an interesting game for both sides," Cox said. "I’m looking to have the best game of my career — always — whether it’s Georgia or another team. As far as for the team, we’re working hard this week, the communication is better, and we want to give them a run for their money.”

Unlike the 'Dawgs, the Gators don't have players on the defensive line with considerable experience outside of Cox. Gervon Dexter Sr. has played more snaps than any interior defensive lineman in college football, but outside of him and Cox the Gators have relied on underclassmen, from Desmond Watson and Chris McClellan to Tyreak Sapp and Justus Boone. Of those four pieces of UF's defensive line rotation, only Watson played against the 'Dawgs last season, meaning several players within Florida's defensive rotation will take the field for the first time at TIAA Bank Field come Saturday's kickoff.

If they're in need of a veteran to look to, they can look to Cox, someone who's played within both locker rooms and understands what the Florida-Georgia game entails.

“I just tell them to keep their poise. It’s a big game. I’m sure nobody has played in a game like this coming out of high school. I just tell them stay calm. You’ve got veteran guys next to you who have been here before. If you get scared you should look to them, I guess. Not that they’re scared or anything but if you get nervous or anything look to a guy who’s been here before. That’s what I did when I was young.”

Cox understands the intensity of the rivalry may be lost on those who've yet to experience it, considering he was unfamiliar with the nature of the Florida-Georgia battle prior to enrolling at Georgia.

“I didn't really know it was that deep, to be honest. I was so locked down on Georgia that’s all I had seen for a while. So, when I actually got into the game I saw, like, the ferociousness of the fans," he said. "You know, how mean they can get about the games so then I knew it was serious and then I transferred. That was at a whole another level. So, other than that, I never really heard too much about it. We had a Florida–Georgia borderline game in like high school. That was it. Other than that, this was new to me.”

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Georgia fans will now be rooting against him rather than for him, and the Bulldogs' offense will now be tasked with stopping Cox rather than benefitting from his production. Like the match-up, it's an aspect of the game he's anticipating as he looks to secure a victory against his former team.

"I actually just got some calls earlier from my people. They’re still Georgia fans, but they root from Florida. It’s kind of hard trying to figure out which side they’re on before the game. It’s all good. I’m just ready to play, telling them it’s going to be a show on both sides," he said. "A whole fan base knowing me and wishing for our downfall, all you can do is take that with a grain of salt and keep moving, that’s all."

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Gators linebacker Brenton Cox Jr. stood in the same room five days earlier discussing the anticipation of facing No. 1-ranked Georgia.

On Monday, UF head coach stood in that very room at the Heavener Football Training Center, confirming an earlier report that Cox is no longer part of the team.

"Sometimes you have to make decisions in the best interest of the team," Napier said. "Being a football player at the University of Florida is a privilege. There are certainly expectations that come with that. We decided to move on."

2022 Gators Football Press Conference with @Coach_BNapier. #GoGators https://t.co/bPUtie2VTd

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) October 31, 2022

Napier said Cox's exit was not a result of a specific incident. Napier added that he preferred to keep details in-house when pressed to provide specifics.

"It's a cumulative effect," Napier said. "We want to help Brenton going forward. But it's healthy for our team."

Florida's defense will be impacted by the loss of Cox, who transferred from Georgia after the 2018 season.

The 6-foot-3, 252-pound fifth-year junior, who signed with Georgia as a five-star prospect out Stockbridge, Ga., leads the Gators with eight tackles for loss and nine quarterback hurries. He also has two sacks after leading the team with 8.5 sacks a season ago, including four in the win over Florida State.

Cox has 35 tackles through eight games. Cox started his team-high 33rd consecutive game on Saturday in Florida's 42-20 loss to No. 1-ranked Georgia in Jacksonville. He finished with two tackles in a quiet performance overall.

Napier said the Gators have multiple players with the ability to fill in after Cox's departure. Linebackers Justus Boone and Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. are among the players likely to get additional playing time.

Meanwhile, Cox addressed his dismissal on Monday night in a Twitter post. He has declared for the NFL Draft.

pic.twitter.com/uy9HLN7xGI

— Brent Cox Jr. (@brenton_cox_) October 31, 2022

The Gators play at Texas A&M on Saturday at noon.

Everyone loves a great success story, but what's most fascinating is the story behind that success.

Conductor Roderick Cox is living one of those great stories.

Raised by a single mom in the musical Mecca of Macon, he had lots of potential, but not a lot of resources.

Just like it takes more than one instrument to make an orchestra, it takes more than just one person to create a great conductor.

Roderick Cox's love of music started early at home and at church.

“Just being surrounded by a lot of music. My mom was in the choir at Bethany Seventh Day Adventist Church and I had to sit in the choir rehearsals, and I very much enjoyed the music coming from the choir loft every, every Saturday morning,” Cox said.

Cox started off on the snare drum in elementary school. He was a part of Central High School's marching band in the early 2000s and eventually moved to the French horn.

“I felt very fortunate to be a part of Macon Public School system when I felt there was a strong emphasis on Macon and music education,” said Cox.

Credit: RODERICK COX

Cox remembers when Zelma Redding with the Otis Redding Foundation agreed to buy him his first French horn for college. Karla Redding-Andrews, Vice President and Executive Director of the foundation and daughter of music legend Otis Redding explains what made Cox special.

“Roderick, what makes him so special is his determination, and he's a lot like my dad -- you can't put him in a box because he's African American, and my dad was that way, like, 'I'm not doing this for color, this is the passion that I have,' and I think that's what my mom saw in him.”

It was in college at Columbus State University in Georgia when Cox the French horn player decided to become Cox the conductor. Cox studied conducting at Northwestern University, graduating in 2011. There, he found more than a love of music -- Cox discovered its power to move the soul and the body.

His studies took him around the world, studying at Oxford University in England, Barcelona, Spain, and the Czech Republic, just to name a few, all with the help of the Otis Redding Foundation.

The basic notes to nurture a dream and everyone playing their part can cascade into a crescendo of success.

Cox said, “I still feel my goal is to make great music, the best music I can at the highest level of my potential, and wherever that takes me -- to a fantastic orchestra -- I have to do it and pursue it and do it 100 percent.”

Cox is currently conducting in Germany. He’s been there since 2018, but he still stays connected with the foundation and is giving back through his Roderick Cox Music Initiative.

“It’s not farfetched to dream big, but a dream has to be backed up through execution and planning, and any dream worth obtaining takes diligent work over time,” said Cox.

He says that you can't do it alone.

"Not just parents, but supporters and different angels come in your life to help you along your path," said Cox.

The Boys & Girls Club in Macon was also instrumental in Cox's development. Leaders there reached out to the Otis Redding Foundation on his behalf.

Karla Redding-Andrews says Cox will be honored with the Zelma and Otis Redding Award of Respect during the Macon Bicentennial Celebration this fall.

You can visit Cox's official website for more information about him.

If you are interested in learning more about and donating to the Roderick Cox Music Initiative, you can also visit their official site.

Monday’s news that Brenton Cox Jr. is no longer on Florida’s football team was a shock but not a surprise.

It’s shocking anytime you lose arguably your most talented defensive player. But it wasn’t surprising considering that player was Cox.

He transferred from Georgia three years ago, leaving the usual trail of rumors about attitude problems and discontent. I can’t definitively say that’s why the ex-Dawg is now an ex-Gator, but read between these lines.

“I think that being a football player at the University of Florida is a privilege,” Billy Napier said. “There are certain expectations that come with that.”

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Cox obviously didn’t meet those expectations, and we’re not talking sacks. He said in spring practice he was gunning for Alex Brown’s single-season record of 13 sacks. He would have needed 11 in the final four games to match that.

He was obviously frustrated against his old team last Saturday, taking a swing at Georgia running back Kenny McIntosh after the Bulldogs’ sixth touchdown. That might have been the last of many straws.

Losing Cox in the wake of a 42-20 loss makes it appear UF’s season has spun out of control. But he’ll be better off not risking injury and training for the NFL Combine.

As for the Gators, Napier’s rebuilding project is based on changing the culture. Whatever the specifics, Cox wasn’t helping in that regard.

Monday’s news shouldn’t be viewed as team coming apart. In the long run, it’s the kind of thing that brings a program together….

Stud of the Week: Brett Yormark. The Big 12 commissioner nailed down a $2.3 billion TV deal with ESPN and Fox, which is almost double the current contract. Yormark reportedly promised TV execs that UCF and Houston will wear Texas and Oklahoma uniforms for the duration of the contract….

Duds of the Week: Jacob Runyan and Chase Cominsky. The Ohio fishermen who set off a cheating scandal last month pleaded not guilty to attempted grand theft. They apparently plan to contend the walleyes they caught failed lie-detector tests and actually stuffed themselves with lead weights.

Duds of the Week II: The four Michigan State players who attacked a Michigan player in the tunnel after the Wolverines’ 29-7 win. They should be kicked off the team and sentenced to watching 10,000 hours of walleye catching tournaments. ...

Is UF's Desmond Watson next?

Stud of the Week, Jumbo Division: Colorado offensive lineman Tommy Brown is the first player to get an NIL deal as an underwear model. Shinesty, an online retailer, signed the 6-foot-7, 335-pounder.

“When you have a body this good, you deserve to be paid,” Brown said.

I hope the sales campaign works. Just not well enough that Shinesty tries to sign UF’s Desmond Watson. ...

Duds of the Week, World Series Division: The Houston Asterisks. A pitcher is suspected of doctoring baseballs. A hitter used an illegal bat. What is this, 2017? ...

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Tom Brady. I just hope the poor guy can find somebody who'll date him now. ...

Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi told SI.com last week, “No one’s beat us. We’ve beat ourselves. I mean we’re undefeated, really.”

The 4-3 Panthers proceeded to beat themselves against North Carolina, 42-24. If they beat themselves against Syracuse this week, expect Narduzzi to order a shipment of “UCF 2017 National Champions” t-shirts, change the name and date, and hand them out with cigars in the locker room. ...

Forget Kevin Durant; the fans should be upset

After losing to Indiana Saturday to drop to 1-5, the Brooklyn Nets held a players-only meeting. “We’re pissed,” Kevin Durant said. I wish there would be a fans-only meeting where participants say they are pissed enough to become Knicks fans. ...

In a Washington Post poll, 24% of respondents under 30 said football is their favorite sport. Then came basketball (17%), “something else” (12%) and soccer (10%). Baseball tied at 7% with “watching 335-pound offensive linemen try to squeeze into their underwear.” ...

Brady Redux: Lawyers said the divorce was settled “amicably,” but it sounds as if he got shafted. Gisele got to keep the ski chalet and yacht. He got to keep the kale farm and the Bucs offensive line. ...

World Series clarification: They are the Houston “Astros.” But the 10-year window of ridicule after a team cheats its way to a title doesn’t close for another five seasons or Jose Altuve admits his bat was corked with walleye, whichever comes first. ...

Today in 1938: Seabiscuit outran War Admiral in “The Match of the Century,” though War Admiral jockey Pat Narduzzi Sr. said his horse beat itself to remain undefeated. ...

Tom Brady is open-minded and has a thing for underwear models, right? Maybe somebody should introduce him to Tommy Brown. ...

That’s about all the space we have for matchmaking and this week’s Whitley’s Believe It or Not. Till next time, Go Phillies!

David Whitley is The Gainesville Sun's sports columnist. Contact him at dwhitley@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidEWhitley

Cox Enterprises joins the JA Chick-fil-A Discovery Center in Atlanta to help students discover what their futures can hold

ATLANTA, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Cox Enterprises proudly cut the ribbon on their storefront in JA BizTown at the JA Chick-fil-A Discovery Center. As a business in JA BizTown, the Cox storefront gives 6^th grade students a glimpse into the realities of adulthood while offering them an opportunity to navigate those complexities in an authentic, hands-on environment. Cox joins more than 40 other local and national companies at the JA Chick-fil-A Discovery Center, which serves more than 30,000 middle school students annually.

"As a board member of JA for almost 10 years, days like today are really special to me," said Dallas Clement, president and chief financial officer for Cox Enterprises. "Creating community resources like JA BizTown is a big reason why we partner with Junior Achievement, and it is an important part of Cox's goal to empower 34 million people to live more prosperous lives by 2034."

Cox has been a Junior Achievement of Georgia sponsor since 1997, and employees regularly volunteer at the JA Discovery Center. JA Discovery Centers are authentic environments where middle school students connect knowledge gained in the classroom to real-world concepts. Students work alongside their peers and adult volunteers in JA BizTown® and JA Finance Park® as they develop a greater understanding of financial concepts, build 21st century skills, and foster their entrepreneurial spirit.

JA BizTown allows 6th grade students to interact within a simulated economy and take on the challenge of starting and running a business. After in-class curriculum around the circular flow of the economy and what it means to be a citizen, students have a job within one of the many storefronts in JA BizTown, and they learn what it's like to work that job. Students earn (and spend!) a paycheck, pay taxes, vote for their elected officials for the day, and ultimately work with their peers towards a common goal of paying back their start-up loan. Volunteers guide students through the simulation and provide their own life experiences to help students discover the endless opportunities their futures can hold.

"We are grateful and excited to officially welcome Cox Enterprises into JA BizTown," said , President and CEO, JA of . "Cox's presence in the simulation space will give our students an inside look at a large multinational communications company that is headquartered right here in their own community. We are looking forward to students being able to experience their futures through the lens of the Cox brand."

With locations in , , , , and soon to be Augusta, more than 40 percent of all middle school students in participate in this programming.

Junior Achievement (JA) of is a business- integrated education partner with expertise in experiential learning that successfully develops key mindsets and skills for students to lead meaningful and successful lives. JA's high-impact programs drive long-term outcomes in areas of financial literacy, career readiness, and fostering the entrepreneurial spirit, and are delivered by corporate and community volunteers. JA of offers multiple programs, with a focus on middle and high school students, including in-class programs, JA BizTown, JA Finance Park and 3DE by Junior Achievement. JA of serves 100,000 students statewide in an average year. JA of has offices in , , and . For more information, visit georgia.ja.org

Cox Enterprises is dedicated to building a better future through our leading communications, automotive and media companies. Our major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications and Cox Automotive, and we are strategically investing in new industries and emerging technologies, with sizeable interests in cleantech. Headquartered in , Cox is a global company with in annual revenues. Founded in 1898 by Governor , the company is a family-owned business committed to its people, communities and planet. To learn more about Cox, visit coxenterprises.com.

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